In North Texas, futuristic scenes similar to those depicted in the 1962 Jetsons cartoon may soon become a reality.
Advanced air mobility company Overair has announced a new partnership with the City of Arlington to start electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) operations in the city. The operations will begin at Arlington Municipal Airport.
The new partnership between Arlington and Overair is the “first-ever direct partnership” between a Texas city and an eVTOL company to develop vertiports for this purpose while adding charging infrastructure and even rideshare capabilities. These new operations promise to provide “direct connections” to restaurants, entertainment and shopping areas, and sports venues, particularly Six Flags Over Texas.
“Today’s announcement is a major step toward positioning Arlington as one of the first cities in the world to integrate fully electric AAM capabilities into its transportation ecosystem,” said Valerie Manning, chief commercial officer for Overair, per the company’s press release.
“Electric advanced air mobility is an example of transportation evolving with the needs of a growing society. We are incredibly excited to help drive this transportation evolution in North Central Texas and to expand our presence in this region, known for its talent and technology,” she said.
The company intends to start this service using its Butterfly aircraft. The new craft promises safety and efficiency, using a quiet propulsion system to deliver people and cargo.
“We’ve accomplished the unimaginable in noise reduction with Butterfly leading the industry at fewer than 55 decibels,” said Overair on its website.
“The spacious cabin accommodates a pilot, five passengers, and luggage. Adaptable cabin design allows for a variety of applications such as charter, medical transport, and cargo,” the company said.
Jim Ross, mayor of Arlington, gave a statement on the planned addition of this new technological feature to the city’s transportation infrastructure.
“This partnership with Overair not only advances the City of Arlington as a leader in implementing innovative transportation solutions, it also provides high-tech and engineering jobs to our residents and the community at large; ultimately creating a new mobility ecosystem that will provide socio-economic progress for decades to come,” said Ross, per the press release.
“We are excited to work with Overair to shape the future of transportation for our city and the DFW region,” he said.
Cities across North Texas have long considered using eVTOLs in their skies. In February of this year, the University of North Texas in Denton partnered with Advanced Air Mobility and other national organizations to test out possible travel routes for drones and eVTOLs, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.