Texas has launched the first phase of a three-year program aimed at preparing next-generation aircraft for use in its skies, marking a significant step toward integrating electric air taxis into the national transportation system. The initiative, called Project Nexus, began on Sept. 10 at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport with demonstrations from BETA Technologies and Joby Aviation, the latter showcasing its electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, known as an eVTOL.
No passengers were aboard the initial flights. Instead, the state is beginning to assess how air taxis could eventually fit into everyday travel. The broader first phase of Project Nexus uses traditional aircraft, including helicopters and fixed-wing planes, to test routes and collect data. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, these flights will help validate routes and prepare for future advanced air mobility operations.
Joby Aviation also launched a week-long campaign of piloted electric air taxi flights across North Texas under the program, part of the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The campaign included planned direct flights into DFW International Airport, a round trip to Arlington, and a route connecting Alliance Airport with Toyota Motor North America's headquarters in Plano. One of the most closely watched tests involved a direct flight into DFW's controlled airspace, with the aircraft landing at DFW Corporate Aviation. That placed an eVTOL into the same busy airspace used by one of the world's busiest airports, giving regulators valuable data on how these aircraft might operate around major transportation hubs.
The North Texas region presents challenges that isolated test sites cannot replicate. Joby says the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA began studying electric air taxi integration in the area in 2018. In 2023, the company and NASA ran a detailed simulation examining whether the DFW terminal area could handle as many as 50 electric air taxi operations per hour. Now that work is moving from computer simulations to actual aircraft operating in the region. Joby has also leased a 45,000-square-foot facility at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, giving it a long-term operating presence in North Texas beyond the initial flight campaign.
While passenger travel captures public imagination, later phases of Project Nexus are expected to focus on medical and cargo logistics. TxDOT specifically points to transporting critical medical supplies or organs between rural facilities and urban medical centers in Austin and San Antonio. That use case could demonstrate practical value more quickly than flying across town to save a few minutes. Moving time-sensitive medical supplies faster could show where the technology provides tangible benefits while passenger operations continue to develop.
Eventually, Project Nexus plans to put passengers onboard. TxDOT says the final phase will involve passenger air taxi flights across the Texas Triangle, with regional connections involving Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. However, commercial passenger service across Texas does not have a firm launch date. Joby still faces certification work; the company says it has advanced into the fifth and final stage of FAA type certification, with testing continuing.
The Texas effort is part of a much larger federal push. The eVTOL Integration Pilot Program includes eight projects across 26 states, with testing focused on passenger travel, cargo, and medical missions. As those projects progress, the lessons learned in North Texas could help shape how air taxis are integrated into the national airspace system, potentially bringing the technology to more cities in the years ahead.