SPRINGFIELD — It’s an industry bringing big investments and thousands of new jobs to the Miami Valley.
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People from the advanced air mobility industry were in Springfield today.
They came from all over the country to talk about how to develop that industry and help our young people find jobs.
At Springfield’s airport Thursday, News Center 7 saw demonstration flights of these electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, aircraft.
EVTOLs are part of the advanced air mobility industry.
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Ted Angel leads the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, or NAAMCE, at Springfield’s airport.
“Drones, as most people have them, that’s considered advanced air mobility, but it’s also the advanced pieces of that, which are electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that can be used as air taxis, logistic people movement, regional air mobility,” Angel said.
It hosted the industry’s annual forum Thursday.
Angel says Ohio is one of the country’s leaders in advanced air mobility.
We’ve seen companies in this industry making big investments in the Miami Valley.
Like Joby Aviation, which wants to hire 2,000 people to help build its electric air taxis near Dayton’s airport.
And Electra, which will hire another 2,000 people near Springfield’s airport.
Electra will build its headquarters and a manufacturing facility in Clark County.
It will build hybrid electric planes that will take small groups of passengers on short trips.
“The Dayton region already has a robust aerospace supply chain manufacturing background, so it just lends itself to this new industry to come in and benefit from all of those years of maturity in doing that,” Angel said.
The forum in Springfield started Thursday morning right after ODOT, through DriveOhio, released this new plan for how the state can best support the advanced air mobility industry and help it grow in Ohio.
“We’re really excited about what the next few years hold and where we might be three years from now,” Breanna Badanes, DriveOhio spokesperson, said.
The forum is part of a three-day event here at the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence at Springfield’s airport. As we’ve previously reported, Electra plans to start construction on its facility next to the airport next year.
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