US Sets 2027 Target for Air Taxi Lift-Off

Federal roadmap outlines 2027 milestones for safety, infrastructure, and airspace integration of electric air taxis

12 Feb 2026

The US government has set out a national plan to integrate electric air taxis into the country’s aviation system, with early commercial services targeted for 2027 in selected markets.

The Department of Transportation’s Advanced Air Mobility National Strategy, released in late 2025, provides a federal framework for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs. The document aims to align regulators, manufacturers and local authorities around a common timeline and set of priorities.

For companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, both seeking certification for their aircraft, the strategy offers greater clarity in an industry that has often been defined by technical ambition but regulatory uncertainty.

Rather than creating an entirely new set of rules, the Federal Aviation Administration plans to adapt existing certification and operational frameworks to electric propulsion and urban operations. Regulators have signalled that safety standards will remain consistent with those applied to conventional aircraft, with adjustments made where necessary.

The incremental approach may reassure investors as well as manufacturers. While the roadmap does not impose binding requirements, it outlines sequencing for approvals, infrastructure development and interagency coordination. That provides companies with a clearer sense of when services might begin and what conditions must be met.

Infrastructure is likely to determine the pace of deployment. Vertiports, charging systems, electricity grid capacity and digital airspace management tools will all shape where operations can start. Federal, state and local authorities must also coordinate environmental reviews, land use approvals and community engagement.

Officials have framed advanced air mobility as an industrial opportunity, pointing to domestic manufacturing, battery supply chains and collaboration between aerospace, energy and urban planners.

Uncertainties remain. Operational rules continue to evolve, and local opposition could delay projects. Integration with existing air traffic systems, including drone corridors, will require careful management. Pilot training standards and data-sharing protocols are also under development.

Demonstration flights are expanding and agencies are stepping up coordination. Commercial scale operations are not yet in place, but with 2027 identified as a milestone, the regulatory path is becoming more defined.