From Regional Planning to AAM Strategy: How OKI Is Approaching Readiness

To understand why the Ohio–Kentucky–Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) has become a reference point in recent AAM discussions, it is important to start with what OKI is—and what it is not.

OKI is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Cincinnati metropolitan region, which spans parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. MPOs are responsible for long-range transportation planning, federal transportation funding coordination, and regional mobility strategy. While aviation is only one component of that mandate, MPOs are uniquely positioned to examine how emerging transportation modes intersect with land use, infrastructure investment, economic development, and public governance.

OKI’s involvement in AAM did not begin with aircraft demonstrations or pilot programs. Instead, it emerged from a planning-based question: how should advanced aviation be considered within a regional transportation system that already crosses state lines every day? This framing is significant because it treats AAM as a future mobility layer—not a standalone aviation experiment.

Over the past several years, OKI has used its convening role to bring together airports, state DOT aviation offices, local governments, emergency management partners, and regional stakeholders from all three states. The goal has been to build shared understanding before deployment pressure accelerates.

This work has focused on identifying realistic regional use cases, such as passenger connectivity between activity centers, time-sensitive logistics, and emergency response scenarios where advanced aviation could provide clear public benefit. Rather than assuming every airport would pursue the same role, OKI has emphasized complementary functions across the regional airport network—an approach that mirrors how ground transportation systems are planned.

Equally important, OKI’s approach has centered on governance and sequencing. Questions around who leads, who participates, how decisions are made, and how community concerns are addressed are being discussed early, rather than after technology decisions are locked in. This planning-first posture reduces the risk of fragmented pilots, misaligned investments, and competitive dynamics that can undermine long-term integration.

The relevance for Michigan is clear. The state has strong individual airport initiatives and early industry engagement, but the next phase of readiness will favor regions that can connect those efforts into a coherent narrative—one that aligns planning bodies, state agencies, and airport operators around shared priorities.

Opportunity framing: Michigan’s opportunity is not to replicate OKI’s structure exactly, but to apply the same sequencing—regional alignment first—so future federal programs, funding opportunities, and industry partnerships can move faster and with greater credibility.