January 28, 2026
“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.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) led the entire Ohio congressional delegation in writing to Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to consider DriveOhio and Ohio Department of Transportation’s application for the FAA’s Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program.
In September 2025, the Department of Transportation announced the Integration Pilot Program which will accelerate the testing of safe and lawful electric aircrafts and other Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft operations in the United States. Ohio has a robust aviation and aerospace ecosystem, which is built on the state’s aviation history. Ohio’s proposal will include a proven, scalable transport model using AAM to replace inefficient ground and charter transportation with faster routing.
“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.
“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.
“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,” the policymakers wrote.
“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.
The full letter is here.