Florida to Begin eVTOL Aircraft Testing at SunTrax Facility in Polk County by Year's End
Why It MattersState-backed vertiport funding and dedicated test infrastructure signal Florida positioning itself as an early testbed for commercial urban air mobility deployment.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue announced that testing of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft will begin by the end of the year at the SunTrax test facility in Polk County. Speaking at an event there, DeSantis said the state is working to turn the concept of urban air mobility into a reality and expressed confidence in major breakthroughs in the technology in the coming years.
DeSantis earlier this year signed legislation, HB 1093, allowing the Florida Department of Transportation to fund 100 percent of project costs for a public vertiport when federal funds are unavailable, or up to 80 percent of the nonfederal share when federal funds are available. Vertiports are intended to serve as hubs for short aerial commutes using battery-powered aircraft that combine characteristics of airplanes and helicopters.
DeSantis and Perdue viewed eVTOL prototypes at the Paris Air Show last year, and by October had announced plans to use SunTrax to research and help develop an aerial highway network. DeSantis also signed a broader 2025 transportation package requiring the state Department of Transportation to develop an advanced air mobility plan with the Department of Commerce, mandating that aviation technology advances be included in the annual transportation work program and that the plan identify corridors of need and opportunities for industry growth.
