North Carolina completed its first electric air taxi flights this month, advancing a state initiative to develop aircraft networks connecting rural hospitals and airports, officials said. The flights were conducted through a federal pilot program run by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The eLIFT-NC initiative, operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, aims to create a network of air taxi routes to improve rural health care access and support disaster response efforts. Joby Aviation remotely piloted one aircraft, while BETA Technologies operated electric flights, both traveling between the Triangle region and the Outer Banks.
The program plans to establish additional flight routes and airport pairs, build safety cases for sustained operations, and gather data to inform the future of electric air transportation in North Carolina. Researchers will also engage local communities in the development of the network.
The state is home to more than 400 aerospace companies that contribute $88 billion annually to the state economy, according to state officials.