US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has celebrated North Carolina’s first demonstration flights under USDOT’s Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), making the state the fifth location to launch under the initiative, following Texas earlier this month. “Under President Trump, we are unlocking the future of flight, one test flight at a time,” said Duffy. “More than 120 years after the Wright Brothers took to the skies at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina is again leading the charge to transform how Americans move. Thanks to these tests, we are closer than ever to welcoming next-generation aircraft into our skies.” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the demonstrations would help the agency “do it safely” as it integrates new aircraft into US airspace: “We’re taking the data and lessons learned to build a system that connects communities and creates more opportunities for jobs and essential services.”

North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Daniel Johnson linked the milestone to the state’s aviation heritage: “Rooted in our legacy as the First in Flight state, North Carolina is committed to shaping the future of aviation. Through eLIFT-NC, we’re exploring emerging technologies that can expand access, strengthen connections to rural communities and create new ways to move people and goods across our state.” The eIPP was created under the Unleashing Drone Dominance executive order and, since Duffy unveiled it in March, has grown to eight projects spanning 28 states, covering urban air taxis, regional passenger transport, cargo and logistics, emergency medical response, autonomous flight and offshore transportation; it follows last year’s first-ever national Advanced Air Mobility strategy, which set out 40 recommendations for safely scaling AAM operations.

ON THE GROUND: JOBY AND BETA’S CAROLINA FLIGHTS

Joby Aviation, BETA Technologies and the North Carolina Department of Transportation are testing regional flight and medical transport between small local airports and a major hub: Joby’s remotely piloted J208 flew from Dare County Regional Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, while BETA’s electric ALIA aircraft made multiple flights between Raleigh Executive Jetport, Pitt-Greenville Airport and Dare County Regional. “Over the past week, our aircraft flew more than 16 medical and disaster response missions between Raleigh Executive Jetport, Pitt-Greenville and Dare County Regional Airport,” said BETA Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark. “We carried a field medical station and supplies along a route that connects the Research Triangle to North Carolina’s coast, overcoming the distance that often prevents the movement of critical supplies, specialists and care in the times they are needed most.” Joby Aviation Chief Product Officer Eric Allison said the North Carolina flights were “showing how autonomous technology can support regional economies, lower transit costs, and bring the benefits of modern flight directly to communities that need it most.” Further test flights are planned through the rest of the year.