Hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft developer Electra Joins Virginia Smart Airspace program to create Instrument Flight Rules for AAM
The partnership will accelerate a pioneering initiative establishing the first FAA-approved, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) network in the United States, according to Electra.
(Manassas, Virginia) Virginia-based electric Short Take-off and Landing aircraft developer Electra announced today (Feb. 18) a new partnership with the Virginia Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Smart Airspace Program to develop and implement an industry-first, low-cost instrument flight rules (IFR) network for Ultra Short and other AAM aircraft complete.
Rendering of eSTOL developer Electra’s forthcoming EL9 eSTOL aircraft courtesy of Electra.
The program is led by Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), supported financially by the Virginia Small Aircraft Transportation Systems Lab, and supported financially and technically by the Virginia Department of Aviation; Electra has joined as technical lead alongside NAVOS Air, according to the company.
Per Electra, the AAM program’s IFR routing, procedures, and new access points will separate AAM traffic from conventional flights, enable more direct routing, and be based on GPS navigation — making it a low-cost, scalable model for replication around the United States.
Electra’s Direct Aviation model uses Ultra Short aircraft, which can take off and land in as little as 150 feet, to unlock thousands of new Ultra Short access points – including fields, parking lots, and underutilized runway — according to the company.
“This partnership marks a critical step forward on our path to unlocking a new era of aviation – one that is simpler, faster, and without the hassle of today’s commercial services,” said Parker Vascik, Director of Product Strategy, Electra. “By creating the necessary operational, physical, and digital infrastructure in an affordable package, we are one step closer to enabling safe, scalable, and reliable all-weather AAM operations across the country. Ultimately, our goal is to transform the future of travel, giving people the freedom to travel from where they are to where they want to go.”
According to today’s press release from Electra, nearly all commercial aviation services operate under IFR to ensure reliability, predictability, and safety, especially when the weather is not clear; however, existing IFR arrival and departure procedures are not designed with AAM aircraft in mind.
A lack of AAM-specific procedures could result in unsustainable airport congestion, reduced time savings for passengers, and challenges in attaining full commercial viability of AAM aircraft, according to Electra’s press release.
Last year, in April of 2025, Electra announced that it had secured $115 million in Series B funding to enter the pre-production and certification phase of its EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft. In January, Electra signed a pre-delivery payment (PDP) deposit agreement with Bristow Group ith binding terms and conditions securing the first delivery slot for Electra’s EL9.
A summer 2024 economic analysis conducted by the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems to measure the impacts of enabling AAM operations across Virginia projected more than $16 billion generated in new economic activity, $2.8 billion generated in tax revenue, and the creation of more than 17,000 high-value jobs across the aerospace ecosystem through 2045, according to Electra.
