Fort Worth\u2019s Alliance airport is set to be a major testing site for air taxis, an on-demand transport utilizing small electric aircraft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joby Aviation, a leading electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft manufacturer, is leasing space at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport where it plans to test its aircraft in preparation for commercial operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The new hub marks the first major air taxi company presence in Texas and will support future electric air taxi operations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, according to Joby Aviation and Hillwood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Air taxis are small electric aircraft, known as eVTOLs, designed to take off and land vertically to transport passengers or cargo over short distances, typically within urban or suburban areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNext month, in Texas, we intend to take one of our most important steps yet toward commercial service,\u201d said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of the Santa Cruz, California-based company, in a letter to shareholders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Later, in a conference call, Bevirt said, \u201cOver the course of a week, our electric air taxi will fly routes across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, helping establish the routes and procedures needed for future commercial operations.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The flights will take place under the White House-backed eVTOL and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), <\/strong>a U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration initiative launched in March. The program partners state and local governments with aviation companies to safely test electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and shape future national airspace regulations.<\/p>\n Joby Aviation currently has five aircraft flying and 12 more in production. The company also recently signed a manufacturing partnership deal with Toyota Motor Co. to ramp up production. Toyota is a major investor in Joby Aviation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Joby\u2019s presence at Perot Field is a significant milestone for the airport and for North Texas aviation, said Christopher Ash, president of Alliance Aviation Companies.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy locating within the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, Joby helps validate the collaborative work happening here and advances the integration of eVTOL technology across the region\u2019s transportation network,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Joby Aviation\u2019s plans for air taxi service will initially be focused on three states, including Texas. On Aug. 4, Joby Aviation announced it was partnering with Atoms, an industrial robotics company led by former Uber founder Travis Kalanick, to acquire and develop vertiport or mini-airport sites for electric flying taxis with an initial focus on Florida, New York and Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Hillwood announced Thursday that Joby Aviation signed a lease for 45,000 square feet at Alliance Air Trade Center in Haslet, part of Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.<\/p>\n \u201cI first visited Perot Field two decades ago and it was clear even back then that this airport would grow into a cornerstone of aviation for the region,\u201d said Greg Bowles, Joby Aviation\u2019s chief policy officer. \u201cEstablishing a presence in Texas puts Joby in one of the most exciting markets in the country.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The location connects the company with AllianceTexas\u2019 multimodal transportation infrastructure, skilled regional workforce and network of public- and private-sector partners focused on advancing mobility innovation.<\/p>\n Hillwood has a focus on new transportation technologies. In 2019, Hillwood established the Mobility Innovation Zone in the AllianceTexas development to spur innovative mobility solutions throughout the supply chain and attract leading companies focused on the autonomous and automated movement of goods.<\/p>\n The Mobility Innovation Zone already has a variety of companies in the autonomous trucking and freight, logistics and technology, and aviation mobility and drones space utilizing the zone, along with research partners such as the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWelcoming Joby to AllianceTexas reflects our ability to pair flexible real estate solutions with the resources forward-looking companies need to grow,\u201d said Samuel Rhea, vice president at Hillwood. \u201cJoby brings an important new capability and demonstrates how AllianceTexas continues to evolve to support aviation, manufacturing and the advanced air mobility sector.\u201d<\/p>\n Bob Francis is business editor at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.\u00a0<\/p>\n