Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation both announced plans Friday to participate in a new White House eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), a federal effort designed to fast-track electric air taxi operations in American cities. The initiative follows President Trump’s June executive order, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” which directed the Department of Transportation and the FAA to establish supervised trial environments for advanced air mobility aircraft.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Friday the program will pair private manufacturers with state and local governments for at least five pilot projects across the country.
Archer said it intends to partner with airlines such as United and with interested municipalities to trial its Midnight aircraft under the program. CEO Adam Goldstein called the eIPP “a landmark moment for our industry and our country” and emphasized that early operations will demonstrate that eVTOL flights can be conducted “safely and quietly.”
United Airlines executive Mike Leskinen noted that the carrier’s investment in Archer in 2021 was driven by a belief that electric taxis would change the way travelers move through major airports and surrounding cities.
A huge step for eVTOLs in the US.
— Archer (@ArcherAviation) September 12, 2025
With today's announcement beginning the implementation of the @WhiteHouse’s Executive Order on eVTOL’s with an RFP, Archer is now exploring pathways to work together with U.S. airlines, including @United, and interested cities under the new… pic.twitter.com/vbpWtxg06P
Joby, which has logged more than 40,000 miles of flight testing, also announced plans Friday to join the eIPP. The company highlighted progress toward FAA type certification, its expanded manufacturing sites in California and Ohio, and partnerships with local governments in Texas, Florida, and New York. The company also announced plans earlier this week to integrate certain services within Uber’s platform by next year.
“We’ve spent more than 15 years building the aircraft technology and operational capabilities that are defining advanced aerial mobility, and we’re ready to bring our services to communities,” said Greg Bowles, Joby’s chief policy officer.
The White House eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) launches today to select and test electric aircraft use cases like passenger rides, cargo delivery, and emergency response. And we’re ready! (1/5) pic.twitter.com/lik6Vhbli6
— Joby Aviation (@jobyaviation) September 12, 2025
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the lessons from the pilot projects will help regulators enable “safe, scalable AAM operations nationwide.”
0 replies