Tribune News Service — Flying taxis could soon move from a futuristic concept to Texas skies after federal officials unveiled eight pilot projects this week — a move that could eventually bring the technology to Houston.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration selected the Texas Department of Transportation to participate in a new pilot program to test electric air taxis and other next-generation aircraft. The program was outlined in Pres. Donald Trump’s ”Unleashing Drone Dominance” executive order.
The testing will be in Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and soon, Houston. The initiative will help regulators gather real-world data and develop safety rules before allowing the aircraft to operate more widely in U.S. skies, federal officials said.
“Thank you to President Trump and Secretary (Sean) Duffy for selecting Texas for one of eight new Advanced Air Mobility pilot programs,” said Marc Williams, executive director of TxDOT, in a statement.
The tests will use electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, small aircraft that can take off and land like a helicopter but fly like a plane. Officials say the projects will explore possible uses for the aircraft, including urban air taxi services, short regional passenger flights, cargo delivery, emergency medical transport, autonomous flight technology and transportation for offshore and energy operations.
“Congratulations to the great American innovators behind each of these exciting pilot programs,” said Duffy, the U.S. transportation secretary, in a statement.
One of the companies is Wisk Aero, a California-based air mobility company, that has its own plans to launch autonomous flying taxis in Houston. Wisk Aero CEO Sebastien Vigneron praised the announcement, saying the company’s next-generation aircraft will help regulators understand how advanced air mobility could work in practice.
Vigneron said in the statement that testing its Gen 6 aircraft in Texas will provide insights to help federal officials develop policies and safely integrate autonomous aircraft into the nation’s airspace, while helping the United States maintain a leadership role in aviation technology.
“Participating in this program will further cement U.S. leadership in autonomy,” he said.
The program initially received more than 30 proposals from across the nation. After federal evaluations, officials selected eight projects to advance into the next phase. The pilot projects span 26 states and involve aircraft makers, aviation companies and state agencies.
Officials expect the first operations under the program to begin as early as the summer of 2026, according to news outlets.
“The future of aviation is taking flight,” TxDOT Emerging Aviation Tech Director Sergio Roman said in a statement.
© 2026 the Houston Chronicle. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Flying Taxis Could Soon Come to Texas Cities
What to Know:
- Texas was chosen for a federal pilot program to test electric air taxis and other next-generation aircraft.
- The program is meant to give federal regulators real-world data as they develop safety rules for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft used for passenger trips, cargo delivery, emergency response and other missions.
- Wisk Aero said its Texas testing could help shape federal policy for integrating autonomous aircraft into U.S. airspace, with first pilot operations expected as early as summer 2026.
Shutterstock/Ashishtobu
