Montana(MT)

Montana is adopting a "Resilient Rural Mobility" strategy, viewing AAM as a vital tool for bridging vast distances and improving public safety. As of January 2026, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is executing its FY 2026 Annual Plan, which prioritizes the use of emerging technologies to enhance infrastructure readiness and emergency response in mountainous and isolated regions.

Infrastructure and Regulatory Framework

Montana’s strategy centers on the "Aeronautics Program," which manages the state’s airway infrastructure and safety systems.

• 2026 Freight Plan Update: MDT officially began its 2026 Freight Plan Update in late 2025, which for the first time includes a dedicated section on low-altitude cargo delivery and the role of AAM in supporting the state’s agriculture and resource economies.
• UAS Hazard Monitoring: Through the federal SMART Grant program, Montana is deploying a UAS-enabled hazard monitoring system that uses aerial sensors to warn travelers of road hazards, serving as a precursor to fully integrated AAM traffic management.
• Airway Safety: A 2026 priority is the modernization of Montana’s search and rescue (SAR) and weather reporting assets to support all-weather AAM operations.

Pilot Programs and Manufacturer Support

Montana is marketing its vast, low-complexity airspace as a "natural laboratory" for autonomous and long-range AAM testing.

• Rural Medical Delivery: A 2026 pilot program is exploring the use of eVTOLs to speed up the delivery of emergency medical supplies and organs across the state’s vast "frontier" counties.
• Work Zone Innovation: MDT is currently piloting UAS-enabled traffic monitoring in work zones to live-stream conditions to the Traffic Management Center (TMC), validating the data-link technologies required for larger-scale passenger AAM.

Strategic Initiatives and Resources

• MDT FY 2026 Annual Plan: mdt.mt.gov/annual-plan-fy26
• 2026 Montana Freight Plan Update: mdt.mt.gov/freightplan/2026-update