Jetport in Everglades could be urban air mobility test site

A Miami-Dade test site for unmanned urban air mobility aircraft is on the runway and awaiting takeoff with a county commission vote directing the mayor to find a site for flight tests and report to commissioners in 45 days.

The legislation from Commissioner Jean Monestime cited the Everglades Jetport – officially the Dade-Collier Training and Transportation Airport – as available and appropriate for tests.

The hunt for a testing site follows a July mission to Europe by 15 Miami-Dade transportation officials and aides, including Mr. Monestime, who met with Eve Air Mobility and others. Eve had unveiled in March a consortium of urban air mobility organizations to develop a concept to fly between Miami International Airport and the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The county legislative package did not mention Eve or flights linking the convention center and airport. There was no usual committee review or discussion in advance of last week’s quick vote, nor did the commission discuss the measure before it passed unanimously.

The package says urban air mobility “would be an efficient transportation system that utilizes highly automated aircraft that will operate and transport passengers or cargo at lower altitudes within urban and suburban areas.” It says such a system could reduce traffic congestion and commuting times.

Last November, commissioners directed Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to create a working group to plan such a system. In June, the Transportation Planning Organization approved a budget to evaluate the technology and assess how to integrate it into the county’s transportation network.

The legislation says using the Everglades Jetport or another site as an unmanned traffic management testing facility would position Miami-Dade at the forefront of the emerging air technologies.

The mayor was told to work with state, federal and local agencies to push the plan forward.