Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) has led the Ohio congressional delegation in a request to Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford, urging consideration of DriveOhio and the Ohio Department of Transportation’s application for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program.
The FAA’s Integration Pilot Program, announced by the Department of Transportation in September 2025, is intended to accelerate testing and integration of electric aircraft and other Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technologies in the United States. Ohio officials argue that their state is well-positioned to participate due to its aviation history and established infrastructure.
“Thank you for your continued efforts to ensure the United States remains a leader in transportation innovation. We write to urge full and fair consideration for the DriveOhio and Ohio Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) application for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP),” wrote the lawmakers.
They also highlighted past investments in Ohio’s aviation sector: “Ohio has a robust aviation and aerospace ecosystem, built on a long history of aviation innovation. With a proven and unique model for cross-sector and state collaboration, Ohio has seen over $1.2 billion invested over the past decade by industry partners, including the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), GE Aerospace, Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies, and JobsOhio. In addition, with strong support from states like Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan, Ohio offers a unique opportunity to test and refine cross-border airspace management, interstate flight operations, and a coordinated regulatory approach,” they continued.
The letter further emphasized Ohio’s readiness: “Ohio has a dedicated Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Division within ODOT, designed to integrate advanced aviation technologies with ground transportation technologies, and has already made the infrastructure, workforce, and financial commitments needed to execute on day one. Ohio boasts seven R1 research institutions and a trained, highly skilled workforce, showing Ohio’s AAM readiness, which will allow the FAA to launch faster and deliver results immediately,” wrote the policymakers.
“We again urge your full and fair consideration of Ohio as one of the sites for the eIPP. This project is a collaborative, regional approach to eVTOL and AAM, and can serve as a model for scaling across the United States,” concluded the lawmakers.
