05-06-2026
Downloadable Version
More than 300 leaders from across Texas’ aviation, business and policy communities braved heavy rain on Friday to attend the 2026 State of Aviation, hosted by the San Antonio Mobility Coalition (SAMCo) and presented by Port San Antonio at the Boeing Center at Tech Port.
The conversation centered on a defining shift: advanced air mobility (AAM) is moving from concept to implementation—and Texas intends to lead.
SkyGrid CEO Jia Xu, left, and Port San Antonio President and CEO Jim Perschbach take part in a panel discussion during 2026 State of Aviation. Image credit: Port San Antonio.
Dan Harmon addresses attendees during the 2026 State of Aviation event.
Keynote speaker Dan Harmon, Director of Aviation at the Texas Department of Transportation, emphasized that “the question is not whether this will happen—it’s where, when and how it integrates,” noting that AAM will reshape mobility systems, with San Antonio playing a critical role in how it is developed and deployed.
Panelists Jesus Saenz, Director of Airports for the San Antonio Airport System; Jia Xu, CEO of SkyGrid (a Boeing company); and Port San Antonio President & CEO Jim Perschbach discussed how major airport expansion, airspace modernization and emerging infrastructure are converging to enable this next phase.
As Jia noted, “everything starts with the airspace” as the industry works to safely scale autonomous and next-generation aircraft operations. And that's where Port San Antonio offers a unique advantage, Jim noted, as one of the few places able to support controlled, real-world testing without disrupting commercial traffic.
Jesus Saenz responds to a question during the 2026 State of Aviation panel discussion. Image credit: Port San Antonio.
From autonomous aircraft to digital airspace systems, the discussion underscored an exciting point: San Antonio is helping build the infrastructure, partnerships and real-world testing environment that will define how next-generation aviation works at scale.
A rendering depicting the planned Vertiport, to be located on the Tech Port San Antonio campus. Image credit: Port San Antonio.
Rendering of upcoming Terminal C at San Antonio International Airport. Image credit: San Antonio International Airport.
Banner AI-generated image credit: David Sims/Port San Antonio.
Video credits: Legends Global.
