Advanced air mobility operations across the country are prioritizing the development of airspace networks over the establishment of vertiport laws, according to a report published October 22, 2026. The fifty state surveys, which were finished on October 15, 2026, indicate that leading states are building flight systems first to attract customers, while laggard states focus on statutes without funding.
The surveys identified 875 entities in the advanced air mobility ecosystem, including companies, agencies, universities, and test sites. Of these, 538 were confirmed as active between September 29 and October 22, 2026. University research programs represent the most common operator with 103 entries, followed by 102 police, fire, or emergency drone units. Currently, no state has an air taxi carrying paying passengers.
North Dakota has invested $89 million in airspace development through several budget cycles between 2019 and 2027. This investment supports the Vantis network run by the Northern Plains UAS Test Site at Grand Forks, which became the first non-federal entity to receive the FAA's unfiltered radar feed in February 2026.
Texas is identified as the largest operating environment for advanced air mobility by activity. Companies including Wing, Zipline, Flytrex, and Amazon Prime Air deliver across Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco, with Walmart serving as an anchor customer. Texas has invested approximately $42.5 million, much of which was directed toward an airfield upgrade at Port San Antonio.
In contrast, states like Utah have passed advanced air mobility laws in each of their last four legislative sessions, yet nothing vertical has flown under its federal project as of the survey. Utah's transportation department holds an eIPP lead and reported three flight campaigns by October 22, 2026, involving aircraft flying from runways.
The federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) includes 28 of the 50 states in some capacity. While the program is designed to test integration, participants must bear their own costs as the federal government does not provide funding for the program. Currently, drone delivery is the only new commercial service available to customers, with operating delivery entities found in only 15 states.
The future of the industry may be shaped by the FAA's publication of Part 108, which would transition beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone flight from a waiver-based system to a standard category. Five networks, including those in North Dakota, New York, Texas, the Choctaw Nation, and Virginia, are already in place for that transition.
