Understanding the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) — Purpose, Structure, and Implications

The Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) is frequently referenced in industry discussions, yet often misunderstood. At its core, the eIPP is not a technology demonstration program and it is not a traditional grant opportunity. It is an FAA-led initiative designed to help the agency understand how electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can be safely and effectively integrated into the National Airspace System.

The program builds on lessons learned from earlier integration efforts, such as the UAS Integration Pilot Program, but with a broader focus on passenger, cargo, and public-service operations that intersect directly with airports, local governments, and existing aviation activity.

A defining feature of the eIPP is its emphasis on public-sector leadership. Eligible lead participants include state governments, local or regional governments, tribal governments, and public authorities such as airport authorities. Industry partners—OEMs, operators, and technology providers—are expected to participate through partnerships rather than as lead applicants.

This structure reflects the FAA’s intent to study governance, oversight, and integration responsibilities that ultimately rest with public entities. The agency is less interested in whether a specific aircraft can fly, and more focused on what must be true for operations to be routine, scalable, and publicly acceptable.

Importantly, the eIPP is not a pass-through funding program. Participation does not come with an assumption of state-level redistribution of funds to airports or local partners. Any federal support is expected to be limited and program-specific, with most infrastructure and operational investments relying on existing capital planning pathways, state and local funding, or private-sector participation.

The FAA is using the eIPP to examine operational integration across multiple dimensions simultaneously: how eVTOL operations interact with general aviation and commercial service, how airport infrastructure can be phased responsibly, how airspace procedures and communications function in mixed-use environments, and how communities are engaged in decision-making.

For Michigan, the significance of the eIPP lies less in participation for its own sake and more in what the program signals. Federal expectations are shifting toward regions that can demonstrate mature partnerships, realistic use cases, and credible governance structures.

Opportunity framing: The eIPP creates an opportunity for Michigan to position itself as a coordinated public-sector partner—ready not only to participate in future federal initiatives, but to help shape national guidance on how eVTOL operations are integrated.

Practitioner Lens: Research as Readiness

As federal programs evolve and regional coordination becomes more important, applied research is emerging as a readiness tool in its own right. Airports and agencies need guidance that reflects operational reality, funding constraints, and governance complexity—not abstract theory.

Thelenwood Consulting is actively developing proposals aligned with recent ACRP synthesis topics, focused on practical challenges facing airports as advanced aviation continues to evolve.If you’re interested in collaborating—whether you bring experience, data, lessons learned, or an emerging project—I’d love to connect.

Closing Thoughts

The next chapter of AAM will be defined less by novelty and more by coordination. Regions that invest early in shared understanding, governance clarity, and realistic planning will be better positioned to navigate federal programs and industry partnerships as expectations continue to rise.