US Launches FAA Pilot Program To Fast-Track Advanced Air Mobility, Joby Aviation And Archer Eye Participation

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced a new pilot program within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to accelerate the deployment of advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles in the country.

This pilot program follows President Donald Trump’s executive order to strengthen U.S. defenses against hostile drones and advance technologies such as electric air taxis and supersonic passenger aircraft.

The program, known as the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), will form public-private partnerships with State and local government entities and private sector companies to develop new frameworks and regulations for enabling safe operations.  

Joby Aviation (JOBY) announced its intention to participate in the White House eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. Separately, Archer Aviation (ACHR) also announced it was aiming to participate in the program.

Archer Aviation stated that this was the first federal initiative specifically designed to accelerate real-world electric air taxi operations in the U.S. The company added that it was now exploring pathways to work together with U.S. airlines, including United Airlines, and interested cities under the new program to design and execute trial operations of Archer's Midnight aircraft as part of the eIPP.

Shares of Archer were up 1% during midday trading. Retail sentiment on the stock improved to ‘neutral’ from ‘bearish’ territory, with chatter at ‘low’ levels, according to data from Stocktwits.

Joby stated that the eIPP is designed to enable mature aircraft designs to demonstrate eVTOL use cases, such as passenger transportation, cargo delivery, and emergency response, before achieving type certification. Shares of Joby rose 2% on Friday.

Retail sentiment on Joby remained unchanged in the ‘bullish’ territory, with message volumes at ‘normal’ levels, according to Stocktwits data.

"This pilot program gives us another opportunity to advance the Administration’s plan to accelerate safe eVTOL and advanced air mobility operations across the United States," said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

"We will take the lessons learned from these projects to enable safe, scalable AAM operations nationwide,” he added.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Also See: Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk Preparing To Introduce Obesity Pills Next Year In The US: Report