The Texas Department of Transportation has been selected by federal authorities to lead the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Integration Pilot Program.
As a primary private-sector partner in this Texas-led proposal, autonomous aviation company Wisk Aero will drive the program’s operational execution. The initiative, overseen by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), serves as a landmark milestone for Wisk to gather flight data within the U.S. National Airspace. This program acts as a bridge to execute the AAM National Strategy, a federal framework designed to integrate both autonomous and piloted aircraft into the national airspace system safely and efficiently.
The integration process will follow a rigorous, three-phase “crawl-walk-run” approach over several years. The initial phase focuses on establishing foundations through flight operations in dedicated areas to refine autonomous systems and ground-based coordination. This will be followed by an integration phase to validate safety cases on dedicated routes. Finally, the advanced operations phase will scale to Wisk’s Gen 6 aircraft, conducting high-frequency flights to provide the FAA with the necessary data for final certification and policy development.
Sebastien Vigneron, CEO of Wisk, said, “Having our partners at TxDOT selected under the eIPP program is the green light we’ve been working toward. The insights we gather in Texas are not just limited to our aircraft or the state; we are validating the entire digital and physical ecosystem. This program allows us to perform real-world operations that can be translated into FAA policy and regulations, ensuring that when Wisk launches our full commercial service, the regulatory environment is as ready as our aircraft.”
Data collected during these operations is expected to address critical regulatory gaps involving airworthiness, ground risk, and pilot certification. Wisk, which operates as a subsidiary of SkyGrid and utilizes the Strata system, is currently the only U.S. eVTOL developer pursuing an autonomy-first approach. The work performed in Texas, including collaboration with the Texas Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies (CAAT), will specifically inform the development of Automated Flight Rules (AFR) and define the roles of remote supervisors.
Wisk’s Gen 6 aircraft, which is currently undergoing the FAA certification process, completed its first flight in December 2026 and remains in an active flight test program. By participating in this pilot program, the company aims to create a digital and operational blueprint for the modernization of air traffic management and the future of autonomous flight.
