The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved eight pilot projects to test innovative electric aircraft across 26 states. The projects will create one of the largest real-world testing environments for next-generation aircraft in existence, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. They are part of the Trump administration's Advanced Air Mobility and Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Integration Pilot Program, or the eIPP. The pilot projects will give U.S. companies an opportunity to test their operations in the real world before final FAA certification of their aircraft. Most of the projects involve the use of eVTOLs, which take off like helicopters and fly horizontally like traditional planes. The data gathered from these pilot projects is expected to be used by the FAA to develop new regulations to enable eVTol technology nationwide.