Electra has partnered with the Virginia Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Smart Airspace Program to develop and test a low-cost Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) network tailored for Ultra Short and other AAM aircraft.
While nearly all commercial aviation services rely on IFR to ensure safety and predictability in poor weather, current arrival and departure procedures are not designed for the unique operational characteristics of AAM aircraft. Without dedicated procedures, the industry faces risks of unsustainable airport congestion and reduced time savings for passengers, potentially hindering the sector’s commercial scalability.
The new program intends to create FAA-certified access points and GPS-based routing designed to enable more direct flight paths while separating AAM traffic from conventional aircraft, offering a scalable model for replication across the United States.
As a technical lead alongside NAVOS Air, Electra will contribute its expertise in hybrid-electric Ultra Short takeoff and landing aircraft. The program is led by Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) and receives financial and technical support from the Virginia Department of Aviation and the Virginia Small Aircraft Transportation Systems Lab.
The technical scope includes the design, implementation, and validation of instrument flight procedures for Ultra Short aircraft, with particular emphasis on the transition from cloud cover to designated landing sites during instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).
These conditions typically involve visibility of less than three miles and cloud ceilings below 1,000 feet above ground level. Electra’s aerospace engineers and pilots will collaborate with program technical leads to develop and validate GPS-based procedures intended to support consistent and reliable all-weather operations.
Tombo Jones, the Director of MAAP, an FAA Designated Test Site, stated, “The Virginia AAM Smart Airspace Program is establishing the regulatory, procedural, and operational foundation for real-world AAM deployment – not in the future, but now. With FAA engagement, proven technical methods, and scalable infrastructure, Virginia is helping to define the national blueprint for how Advanced Air Mobility will operate in everyday airspace.”
Parker Vascik, Director of Product Strategy, Electra, added, “This partnership marks a critical step forward on our path to unlocking a new era of aviation – one that is simpler, faster, and without the hassle of today’s commercial services. By creating the necessary operational, physical, and digital infrastructure in an affordable package, we are one step closer to enabling safe, scalable, and reliable all-weather AAM operations across the country. Ultimately, our goal is to transform the future of travel, giving people the freedom to travel from where they are to where they want to go.”
The initiative will initially connect four nodes within Virginia to demonstrate a repeatable and scalable deployment model. These include an off-airport Ultra Short access point at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, an on-airport Ultra Short access point at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport designed to maintain separation from conventional runways and flight patterns, an existing FAA-approved vertiport at Allen C. Perkinson Airport, and Shannon Airport, a rural facility with a turf runway.
The economic implications of establishing these flight networks are substantial. A 2024 analysis projected that enabling AAM operations across Virginia could generate more than $16 billion in new economic activity and support over 17,000 high-value jobs by 2045.
Electra’s Direct Aviation model leverages aircraft capable of taking off and landing in as little as 150 feet, enabling the use of fields, parking lots, and underutilized runways as Ultra Short access points. This approach is designed to bring air travel closer to where people live and work, supporting distributed access across commuter communities.
