West Virginia(WV)

West Virginia is positioning itself as a "Vertical Frontier," leveraging its rugged topography and specialized workforce to become an early adopter of AAM for rural connectivity. As of January 2026, the West Virginia Department of Economic Development and the West Virginia UAS Advisory Council are operationalizing the "Elevating West Virginia" vision, which identifies AAM as a primary driver for post-industrial economic renewal.

Infrastructure and Regulatory Framework

West Virginia’s strategy focuses on the high-impact use of uncrewed and electric aircraft in areas where surface transport is hindered by mountainous terrain.

• Statewide UAS Advisory Council: Following House Bill 4667, the state has centralized AAM policy under a single council, tasked with developing comprehensive strategies for air vehicle technology and business planning.
• Mobile Airspace Monitoring: A key 2026 goal is the deployment of mobile airspace monitoring systems, allowing the state to establish versatile test environments in remote regions without the immediate need for permanent vertiports.
• Legislative Preemption: To attract investment, the state has enacted laws preventing local political subdivisions from creating a "patchwork" of conflicting AAM regulations.

Pilot Programs and Manufacturer Support

The state is utilizing its unique geography to test "Mission-Critical" logistics.

• Mingo County K-16 Curriculum: West Virginia leads the nation in AAM workforce development, having scaled a specialized aerospace curriculum from kindergarten through higher education to prepare the next generation of technicians.
• Industrial and Medical Corridors: 2026 pilot programs are exploring the transport of essential goods to isolated communities and the use of eVTOLs for time-sensitive organ and specimen delivery between West Virginia University (WVU) health hubs.

Strategic Initiatives and Resources

• Elevating West Virginia Vision: vertxpartners.org/aam-vision
• West Virginia DOT Aeronautics: transportation.wv.gov/aeronautics