DRIVING THE NEWS: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Becomes First Transportation Secretary to Fly in Next Generation Vertical Take-off/Landing Aircraft
Trump Administration’s pilot program is unleashing American innovation to redefine how people and products move
BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy on Friday became the first Transportation Secretary in American history to fly in an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Secretary Duffy’s historic flight — which marks an important milestone in development of these next generation aircraft — took place at BETA Technologies, Inc. headquarters in Vermont.
eVTOLs are futuristic aircraft that have the potential to generate new jobs, connect communities, and strengthen American leadership in aviation.
To ensure American innovation leads the way, Secretary Duffy and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled a new pilot program (eIPP) to begin testing advanced air mobility vehicles and their real-world applications out in the field. The eight selected projects span 26 states and partner with leading aircraft manufacturers, operators, and state partners.
- Urban air taxi services
- Regional passenger transportation (including short Takeoff and Landing aircraft)
- Cargo and logistics networks
- Emergency medical response operations
- Autonomous flight technologies
- Offshore and energy-sector transportation
“This is the kind of innovation I love to see: technology that’s going to fundamentally improve how people and products move. BETA Technologies is one of many great American companies making sure the United States’ leads the way in this exciting technology. From emergency organ transplants to regional air travel, these next generation aircraft have so many revolutionary applications,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “The future of flight is coming. The Trump Administration will continue to do our part to support the safe integration of these innovations into our airspace.”
BETA Technologies is developing both an electric conventional take-off and landing aircraft (eCTOL) and an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
Additional Information:
The eIPP, which was outlined in President Trump’s Unleashing Drone Dominance Executive Order, is accelerating the safe integration of next generation Advanced Air Mobility aircraft into the national airspace and ensuring the United States leads the way in aviation innovation.
Together, these pilot projects will create one of the largest real-world testing environments for next generation aircraft in the world. In addition to offering the American people an exciting window into the future of aviation, data from the pilot projects will be used by the FAA to develop new regulations that safely enable this futuristic technology at scale.
In December, Secretary Duffy and the FAA launched the nation’s first-ever advanced air mobility (AAM) strategy to unlock the future of flight. The Strategy and accompanying action plan outline 40 recommendations to safely and efficiently support AAM operations.
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