Florida has begun electric-aircraft demonstration flights with Joby Aviation and BETA Technologies under the federal advanced-air-mobility pilot programme, according to an FAA announcement dated October 30, 2026. The Florida Department of Transportation is testing cargo-delivery applications and routes around Tampa Bay.
Two aircraft types, different operations
The FAA says Joby flew its S4 electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft from Albert Whitted Airport to Tampa International Airport and at the SunTrax testing facility.
BETA’s ALIA CX300 is an electric conventional-takeoff-and-landing aircraft. The agency says it flew from St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport to Tampa, recreating the area’s historic 1914 airline route. The statement identifies Tampa as the destination without naming a BETA arrival airport.
That distinction matters: electric propulsion does not mean every participating aircraft takes off vertically. The FAA announcement describes Joby’s eVTOL and BETA’s conventional aircraft separately.
What comes next
The FAA says FDOT and Electra plan flight tests at several central Florida locations in November. Further programme test flights are planned through the rest of the year.
The Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program gathers operational experience for advanced air mobility. The FAA says data from its projects may inform future regulations.
A demonstration is not a new booking option
The announcement concerns testing. It does not announce public ticket sales, a passenger timetable or the start of a bookable Florida air-taxi service. Readers should keep a demonstrated route separate from an available transport service, and future test plans separate from completed flights.
This report does not establish an aircraft certification milestone or a commercial-service start date. Those would require their own current regulatory or operator announcements.
