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Photo: sunsentinel.com

Florida is preparing to take transportation to the skies, with the state set to begin testing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft by the end of the year at a new testing facility in Polk County. The initiative could eventually pave the way for electric air-taxi services across Florida.

The testing will take place at SunTrax AirGround, a 775-acre transportation research facility in Auburndale along the I-4 corridor between Orlando and Tampa. The facility now includes a dedicated aerial test track designed to allow companies to test eVTOL aircraft and related communications technology in a controlled environment.

Florida officials envision the aircraft as a new form of transportation that could help ease congestion on the state’s increasingly busy roads. Unlike conventional airplanes, eVTOLs are designed to take off and land vertically, combining features of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

Florida was also selected to participate in the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, which is designed to test these aircraft in real-world conditions and help develop the procedures and regulations needed for their wider use. Companies including Joby and Archer are preparing for operations in Florida as part of the program.

The technology could eventually enable short air-taxi trips between Florida cities, potentially cutting journeys that currently take significant time by car down to a fraction of the time. However, commercial service still depends on aircraft certification, safety testing and the development of the necessary infrastructure.

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