{"id":34360,"date":"2026-03-02T16:27:30","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/?p=34360"},"modified":"2026-03-02T16:30:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T16:30:05","slug":"north-carolina-proposes-participation-in-faa-electric-aviation-pilot-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/north-carolina\/north-carolina-proposes-participation-in-faa-electric-aviation-pilot-program\/%20","title":{"rendered":"North Carolina Proposes Participation in FAA Electric Aviation Pilot Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The N.C. Department of Transportation Division of Aviation has submitted a proposal<\/a> to participate in the Federal Aviation Administration\u2019s Electric Aviation Integration Pilot Program<\/a> (eIPP), an initiative designed to support the safe integration of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), such as air taxis, and advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies into the national airspace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If selected, North Carolina\u2019s participation would focus on practical, real-world operations that provide public benefit while generating data to support FAA decision-making and future regulatory frameworks. The proposal emphasizes the use of smaller electric aircraft to move people and goods between communities that are not currently served by traditional commercial aviation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis proposal reflects a coordinated approach to connecting rural populations with hospitals that are typically a few counties away,\u201d said Julie White, deputy secretary of multimodal transportation at NCDOT. \u201cBy using electric aircraft and air taxis, we can help patients in remote areas reach critical care faster, strengthening regional healthcare networks across the state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unlike the traditional hub-to-hub aviation model, electric aircraft and air taxis have the potential to operate point-to-point, connecting rural and urban communities more directly. This approach offers the flexibility of a car with the speed of a plane. It expands access to aviation in communities that have historically been left out of the system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the birthplace of powered flight, North Carolina continues to build on its aviation legacy through investments in infrastructure, workforce development and emerging technologies. The state\u2019s eIPP proposal aligns existing advanced air mobility efforts with federal priorities and emphasizes operational readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If selected, NCDOT plans to initiate early activities within 90 days, including a public electric aviation demonstration, deployment of charging infrastructure and operational demonstrations focused on health care and emergency response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201ceVTOL technology represents a meaningful step forward in improving access to specialized care and strengthening time critical medical transport capabilities supporting regional healthcare delivery,\u201d said Stuart Ginn, MD, Medical Director of WakeMed Innovations. \u201cThe eIPP proposal reflects North Carolina\u2019s dedication to patient focused innovation and rigorous operational safety\u2014key elements for integrating new aviation technologies into our healthcare infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government officials are also committed to advancing electric aviation in our state.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNorth Carolina is well positioned to help lead the nation with electric aircraft and processes for AAM type certification. The eIPP will help mature electric aviation from concept to reality,\u201d said Senator Ted Budd. \u201cThis effort supports innovation while maintaining a strong focus on safety, reliability and economic opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through participation in the eIPP, North Carolina aims to help shape national standards for electric aviation while strengthening mobility options, supporting economic growth, improving health care access and reinforcing the state\u2019s role as a leader in aviation innovation..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The N.C. Department of Transportation Division of Aviation has submitted a proposal to participate in the Federal Aviation Administration\u2019s Electric Aviation Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), an initiative designed to support the safe integration of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), such as air taxis, and advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies into the national airspace. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[142,140,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aam-uam","category-evtol","category-north-carolina"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34360","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34360"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34360\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34364,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34360\/revisions\/34364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34360"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}