ICYMI: DRIVING THE NEWS: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Tours SunTrax to Highlight How Admin is Unlocking the Future of Flight
ICYMI: DRIVING THE NEWS: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Tours SunTrax to Highlight How Admin is Unlocking the Future of Flight
POLK COUNTY, FL – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy yesterday visited SunTrax, a key research and development hub for air and ground transportation innovation whose Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) testing operations have been made possible by the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) AAM and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) was one of eight projects selected by the Trump Administration in March to participate in the first-of-its-kind program created to accelerate the safe integration of next-generation aircraft into the national airspace.
SunTrax, which is developed and operated by FDOT, is home to the nation’s first dedicated AAM Aerial Test Track and a 212-acre aviation testing campus. SunTrax is also home to a 2.25-mile oval track, which is the only highway-speed testing site for autonomous vehicles (AVs) in the southeastern United States.
Secretary Duffy views SunTrax’s test tracks, hangars, and facilities from the observation tower
“Thanks to President Trump, we’re unlocking the future of flight and fundamentally reshaping the way people and products move for the better,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “SunTrax is a prime example of how USDOT is working with innovative states like Florida to ensure America leads the way in next-generation aviation technology. The work and research done here will radically redefine air transportation—from personal travel to emergency medicine—for years to come.”
“The future is now at Florida’s SunTrax Ground and SunTrax Air with new transportation technologies that are rapidly transforming our industry,” said Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared W. Perdue, P.E. “With the vision of transportation leaders like Secretary Duffy, we’re taking action to position our country for the future of flying cars and Florida’s SunTrax Air will set the stage for highways in the sky.”
Secretary Duffy speaks with FDOT officials following the tour
FDOT’s eIPP project is a statewide effort featuring multiple industry partners and will include three phases of operations focused on cargo delivery, passenger transportation, automation, and medical response. SunTrax is scheduled to be testing eVTOLs throughout the Central Florida region by the end of 2026.
Click HERE to view b-roll from Secretary Duffy’s visit to SunTrax.
To learn more about what USDOT is doing on eVTOLs and the future of flight, click HERE. To learn more about what USDOT is doing on AV innovation, click HERE.
Additional Information:
Under President Trump’s Unleashing Drone Dominance Executive Order, Secretary Duffy and the FAA selected eight projects across 26 states to be a part of the eIPP–creating one of the largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft in the world. The eIPP is accelerating innovations safely so America can improve how people and products move.
In December, Secretary Duffy and the FAA launched the nation’s first-ever advanced air mobility (AAM) strategy to unlock the future of flight. The Strategy and accompanying action plan outline 40 recommendations to safely and efficiently support AAM operations.
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