St. Pete Officials Discuss Plans For Electric Air Taxi Network

Monday at 5 p.m., St. Petersburg officials will meet with manufacturers to discuss plans for electric flying taxis. The project could link local airports as early as 2026. The Advanced Air Mobility Task Force wants to build a network of vertical-lift aircraft stops throughout Tampa Bay.

Albert Whitted Airport will serve as the hub for these hybrid vehicles - part plane, part helicopter, part drone. The airport's director, Rich Lesniak, has begun working with other airports about air traffic control and operations.

Task force leader Ed Montanari introduced this idea to city leaders in 2024. Speaking to Fox 13 News, Montanari got his inspiration from "The Jetsons" when imagining everyday travel.

After giving their first update in August 2025, the group will report again in November. Their final plan comes out in January 2026. The upcoming meeting takes key steps in setting technical guidelines, safety measures, and meeting federal rules.

Routes could connect St. Pete-Clearwater Airport with Tampa International. These flying taxis would use special landing areas called vertiports - quick takeoff spots for both passenger rides and emergency services.

Questions still exist about using human pilots versus autonomous aircraft. Tampa Bay can take notes from similar projects in Los Angeles, New York, and Dubai, where these services are already running.

Still, noise concerns remain, along with public acceptance. While looking into these issues, the team needs to fit this new transport option into existing systems smoothly.