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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — From July 29 to 31, the Port joined the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the University of Texas at Austin and other leading voices from across the Lone Star State that are focused on writing the next chapters of how people and products will move within our communities, across the nation and around the world.

During a technology showcase that kicked off the three-day Texas Innovation Invitational, the Port highlighted for the public — from leading experts to an array of curious students — how its large Tech Port campus is the ideal place for the continued development, testing and eventual deployment of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, colloquially known as ‘air taxis.’

The Port is advancing plans to construct a vertiport — a state-of-the-art facility next to its industrial airport at Kelly Field that will be able to host traditional fixed-wing aircraft alongside landing pads where, in the not-too-distant future, people will be able to board eVTOLs as part of mass transit systems that will take them to various destinations in the region.

The new systems will be of tremendous benefit to large and growing communities like San Antonio. They will significantly cut down travel times compared to ground transportation while also alleviating traffic and reducing the large amounts of resources required for the construction and upkeep of traditional infrastructure — from roadways to costly parking structures.

Above: Port team members Marcel Johnson and Stephanie Garcia meet with an array of visitors during the technology showcase — from leading transportation experts to students, teachers and other guests — to answer questions and share with them how the Port is advancing plans to create a vertiport and use the campus as a unique testbed for the upcoming technology.

Furthermore, as the technology is deployed, scaled and costs are reduced, it will increase the connectivity between large cities and rural areas — opening new doors of opportunities for people across the state so they can more easily access places to work, learn and grow a business.

“In addition to our large concentration of aviation and aerospace expertise on the Port campus and elsewhere in our community, we also have players who will be indispensable in the continued development of this exciting new mode of transportation,” said Port President and CEO Jim Perschbach.

“Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and many other applied technologies are already thriving here and growing thanks to the work of leading experts,” he continued. “Collaboration among all these disciplines today is essential to ensure that the future of urban air transportation is both efficient and safe, and our campus is the perfect place to validate these upcoming systems.”

TAKE A DEEPER DIVE: Earlier this year, the Port joined Boeing, Wisk Aero and the University of Texas at San Antonio in a community conversation highlighting the Port's progress on an upcoming vertiport and San Antonio's special standing as a place where an array of existing industries are uniquely positioned to collaborate to make future flying taxis a reality. 

WATCH THE CONVERSATION

At the conference, the Port showcased its vertiport plans alongside leading operators of advanced drone systems, autonomous trucks, self-driving delivery robots and other state-of-the-art innovations.

"This event is a window into the incredible world of transportation technology and highlights TxDOT’s investment in a talented and skilled workforce," said Brandye Hendrickson, Deputy Executive Director for Planning and Administration of TxDOT. “These technologies are here today and we are finding ways to safely integrate them into the Texas transportation system.”

BELOW: State-of-the-art industrial drones; prototypes of self-driving cars, trucks and food delivery robots; next-generation e-bikes and more — the Port team was in great company among kindred spirits and collaborators from within San Antonio and across Texas during the technology showcase. 

Image credits: Port San Antonio.