MnDOT Partners with NASA to Plan Air Transportation System

It’s not quite The Jetsons, but it is a major leap forward in transportation technology. The Minnesota Department of Transportation is partnering with NASA to plan for the future of aviation, where advanced technology cargo aircraft and passenger air taxi services become a reality.

MnDOT announced Monday this partnership will include a series of workshops where MnDOT and stakeholders from across the state work with NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility team to identify areas of opportunity and concern regarding Advanced Air Mobility integration, and discuss strategies for future engagement and planning. Partners from local governments, airport authorities and operators, universities, vehicle and subsystem manufacturers, infrastructure providers, workforce development organizations and others will also be present at these workshops, which are scheduled to begin in June.

“These new electric, vertical take-off aircraft are currently undergoing testing, maturing quickly, and represent the future of a greener, more adaptable aviation option in Minnesota,” said Cassandra Isackson, MnDOT office of Aeronautics director. “Advanced Air Mobility services show great promise to provide localized aviation services that are broadly accessible, equitable, sustainable, and serve all Minnesotans. We look forward to working with NASA and a broad range of local experts to help Minnesota plan for these new technologies.”

Advanced Air Mobility is a program whose mission is “to help emerging aviation markets to safely develop an air transportation system that moves people and cargo between places previously not served or underserved by aviation – local, regional, intraregional, urban – using revolutionary new aircraft that are only just now becoming possible.”

Minnesota is one of five government entities chosen to participate in aviation planning workshops with NASA. I think is an intriguing travel option that will certainly take some getting used to for people, but based on the video above it certainly appears to be an efficient way to move around versus traditional road travel.

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