White House Signs eVTOL Integration Pilot Program — Six US Cities Named

On March 9, 2026, the White House formally signed the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) into accelerated rollout. The signing represents the most significant US federal commitment to commercial eVTOL operations to date — and named six US cities in the first eIPP cohort.

What the eIPP Does

The eIPP coordinates three things that had previously been scattered across federal, state, and local agencies:

1. FAA airspace integration for eVTOL operations in busy urban airspace.
2. State and local vertiport siting authority and zoning coordination.
3. Federal funding alignment for vertiport infrastructure and eVTOL pilot training programs.

Before eIPP, an eVTOL operator wanting to launch in NYC had to separately negotiate with the FAA, NY State DOT, NYC Mayor's Office, the Port Authority, and individual airport authorities. Under eIPP, those agencies sit in a single coordination structure with formal federal backing.

The Six Named Cities

While the official cohort list will continue to evolve, the six cities named in the initial eIPP signing are widely understood to include:

1. New York — Joby JFK and Manhattan corridors
2. Los Angeles — Archer + United LA28 Olympics buildout
3. Dallas-Fort Worth — Texas multi-airport pilot
4. Houston — Joby Skyports partnership
5. Miami / South Florida — Archer Miami / Fort Lauderdale / West Palm Beach network
6. Tampa Bay — Florida pilot corridor

For more on the Texas and Florida launch markets, see our state-specific guides.

Why eIPP Matters Globally

The eIPP signing matters beyond the US. Internationally, it signals to partners and competitors that US air taxi commercial operations are no longer hypothetical. That has three downstream effects:

1. Capital flows. Investors funding eVTOL programs price US launch as a near-term reality, not a distant possibility.
2. International coordination. EASA, UK CAA, GCAA, and other international regulators benchmark against the US position.
3. Competitive pressure on China. Chinese eVTOL operations (EHang and others) are already commercial. eIPP closes the gap.

What the eIPP Doesn't Do

The eIPP does not bypass FAA Type Certification. Joby still needs to complete FAA Stage 4 type certification, Archer still needs to certify Midnight, and aircraft still need to be airworthy under standard FAA criteria.

What eIPP does is remove the operational, regulatory, and infrastructure friction that comes after type certification. That's worth potentially years of launch acceleration.

Timeline

The eIPP is structured as a three-year program:

• 2026: Vertiport site selection, regulatory framework, initial demo flights
• 2027: First public revenue operations in eIPP cities
• 2028: Full multi-city network commercial scale, including LA Olympics

For the broader US picture, see /usa-air-taxi.

How to Stay Ahead

Pre-reserve your seat for first US revenue flights in eIPP cities. Track the eVTOL Certification Tracker for company-by-company status updates.