Michigan allocates over $6 million to advanced air mobility projects

A total of $6.25 million in funding has been awarded to four projects that will explore potential use cases of AAM and guide Michigan lawmakers in regulating the industry. AAM is an FAA umbrella term for new forms of passenger and cargo aircraft, from drones to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis.

The $2.6 million will be allocated to electric aircraft and charging station developer Beta Technologies. The remaining funds will be split among drone infrastructure developer Skyports ($512,000), Traverse Connect, the economic developer for the state’s Great Traverse region ($689,500), and Michigan Central, a transportation technology campus in Detroit ($2.45 million).

The money comes from the Michigan AAM Activation Fund, which is supported by the state’s Department of Transportation (MDOT), Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME), and Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The fund is designed to prepare Michigan for the arrival of AAM aircraft by coordinating state agencies.

“Advanced air mobility is an incredible economic opportunity for the state of Michigan,” Gilchrist said. “These investments will create high-tech jobs, grow world-class companies and improve the quality of life for our residents. These innovative advances will improve the way our businesses operate, make air travel more efficient and transform the way we move people and cargo.”

Bradley Wieferich, Michigan’s transportation director, added, “This new investment complements the state’s strategy to find safe and cost-effective ways to leverage a robust network of aviation infrastructure that serves Michigan residents today.”

Beta will use its $2.6 million in funding to install electric aircraft chargers nationwide, including at Cherry Capital Airport (KTVC), Capital Region International Airport (KLAN), West Michigan Regional Airport (KBIV) and Willow Run Airport (KYIP).

The company is developing systems that comply with the Combined Charging Standard (CCS), a set of design protocols supported by Beta, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and other manufacturers such as Archer Aviation and Boeing’s Wisk Aero. So far, Beta has installed and brought online about 20 chargers in the eastern U.S., with about 50 more in the construction or permitting process.

Skyports will use its money to launch three proof-of-concept drone delivery services in the cities of Sault Ste. Marie and Detour Village in partnership with local shipping operator Interlake Steamships. The ships will be anchored while the drones pick up the deliveries.

Traverse Connect will work with various partners to explore the use of drones to deliver critical medical supplies to rural areas that are typically less connected to the U.S. health care system. The drones will also be used for marine surveys, water sampling and testing, bathymetric mapping, and emergency response in the Lake Michigan area.

Michigan Central, meanwhile, has been tasked with improving Michigan’s recently announced Advanced Aerial Innovation Region, an urban campus opened to attract AAM companies and jobs to the state. It will also work with Brooklyn’s Newlab, a technology center best known for revitalizing the Brooklyn Navy Yard, to test beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone capabilities in building inspections, cargo deliveries and medical deliveries.

“Michigan residents have always been pioneers in mobility, and now we are taking to the skies and finding new ways to use next-generation transportation to deliver critical resources like medical supplies and food, strengthen international partnerships and cross-border collaboration, and much more,” said Justine Johnson, Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer.