Texas has begun testing how electric flying taxis could operate in its airspace through Project Nexus, a three-year programme led by the Texas Department of Transportation. Demonstrations by BETA Technologies and Joby Aviation mark an early step towards integrating electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft into existing transport networks, although no passengers were carried. The tests matter because they examine how air taxis might operate around major airports and potentially reduce lengthy road journeys.

The initial phase uses helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to validate routes and gather operational data, while Joby conducted planned piloted flights across North Texas. Routes included DFW International Airport, Arlington and Toyota Motor North America’s headquarters in Plano, with one test involving DFW’s controlled airspace. The FAA and NASA have studied air-taxi integration in the region since 2018, and a 2023 simulation considered whether the DFW terminal area could handle up to 50 electric air-taxi operations per hour.