A prototype of Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft participates in a series of flight demonstrations at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. [Photo: Texas Department of Transportation]

Texas just became the sixth state to test electric air taxis under a federal pilot program, with the first flights taking off last week at Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

The goal? Launch air taxi service in Dallas-Fort Worth and elsewhere in Texas in 2029.

The Texas Department of Transportation kicked off its Project Nexus testing program with aircraft taking to the Dallas-Fort Worth skies from Sept. 10 to 14. Joby Aviation Inc., a developer of air taxis, carried out the five-day DFW test.

“Today marks another critical step in our work to reshape how people and products move for the better,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Sept. 10 at a flight demonstration at Fort Worth Alliance.

In March, the U.S. Department of Transportation chose TxDOT to lead a pilot program for testing electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft.

Building the future of aviation

Project Nexus will initially fly aircraft to gather data, validate routes and work toward advanced air mobility. TxDOT said the first flights won’t carry passengers.

Companies and government agencies participating in the project envision regional air taxi service throughout the Texas Triangle. This area includes Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and San Antonio.

Plano-based VertiPorts by Atlantic designs and builds takeoff-and-landing sites for airplane-helicopter hybrid aircraft. It’s part of Project Nexus, supplying ground infrastructure that piloted eVTOL aircraft will need as testing ramps up.

“In Texas, we don’t wait for the future to arrive, we build it,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said in a statement. “The Lone Star State is pushing the boundaries by testing the next generation of aircraft through Project Nexus.”

“These technologies will connect communities, expand access to jobs and services, and strengthen supply chains,” Cruz said. “What starts in Texas will help shape the future of aviation throughout the entire country.”

‘Transformational moment in aviation’

Texas Transportation Commissioner Steven Alvis said in a statement that Project Nexus puts Texas at the forefront of “a transformational moment in aviation.”

“This will help ensure our transportation system continues to meet the needs of a growing state and a growing economy,” Alvis said.

Texas has teamed up with aircraft manufacturers, operators and other stakeholders to advance a number of next-generation flight concepts. This includes urban air taxis, regional passenger service, cargo and logistics flights, emergency medical trips, and transportation for the energy sector, TxDOT said.

“Project Nexus is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to gather real-world data, improve safety and build a framework for how electric aircraft could one day connect people, goods and communities across the state,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said in a statement.

The Texas pilot will evolve in phases over the next three years, TxDOT said.

The first phase involves the current test-flight program. The next phase will take on testing of medical and cargo logistics, such as transporting critical medical supplies or donor organs between urban medical centers and rural facilities. The third and final phase will feature air taxi flights carrying passengers around the Texas Triangle.

Charging infrastructure and eVTOL operations

In conjunction with Project Nexus, America’s Consortium for Electric Skyways, or ACES, said it will set up an eVTOL charging network in Texas. The consortium includes Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies and Macquarie Capital.

ACES said it plans to electrify up to 250 air taxi sites across U.S. airports and metro areas over the next decade.

“The future of aviation is taking flight in Texas,” Sergio Roman, TxDOT’s director of emerging aviation tech, said in a statement.

The pilot program “is a first-of-its-kind effort to safely integrate electric aircraft into U.S. airspace,” Roman said, “and building the charging infrastructure to support those operations puts Texas squarely at the center of the next generation of aviation — improving safety and connectivity for communities across the state.”

Joby and Archer ramp up in Texas

Joby’s recent test flights sent aircraft between Fort Worth Alliance and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. To support its work in North Texas, Joby recently signed a lease for 45,000 square feet at the Alliance Air Trade Center in Haslet. The space serves as Joby’s North Texas hub.

Meanwhile, San Jose, California-based Archer Aviation said it will begin laying the groundwork for operation of air taxis in Texas, Florida and New York. Archer also plans to conduct test flights in Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“Texas is preparing the way for America to lead the world in commercializing the next generation of aviation technologies, and infrastructure is how that push becomes real,” Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer, said in a statement.