St. Petersburg city leaders are laying the groundwork to accommodate electric air taxis — known as eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft — at Albert Whitted Airport, following the release of a roadmap from the city’s Advanced Air Mobility Task Force.
The task force, led by chair Ed Montanari, presented its recommendations to the City Council, calling for near-term improvements including expanded aircraft parking, electrical charging stations, and upgraded fire safety systems. Looking further ahead, the plan envisions dedicated vertiports — purpose-built landing and takeoff areas for eVTOLs — on airport property within four to ten years, with development tied to market demand.
The task force also recommended exploring standalone vertiport locations elsewhere in the city, citing areas such as downtown, the Historic Gas Plant District, Carillon, and Tyrone as potential sites near business centers, hospitals, and tourist destinations.
Airport manager Richard Lesniak said he expects the aircraft to arrive at Whitted in some form, whether through commercial operations or private ownership.
The local planning aligns with federal efforts to advance the industry. The FAA recently launched the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program to facilitate public-private partnerships, and a bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation this month aimed at streamlining FAA certification for advanced air mobility aircraft.
The task force also recommended creating a Jannus Center for Aviation and Innovation to support workforce education, training, research, and economic development — a nod to St. Petersburg’s aviation heritage as the site of the world’s first scheduled commercial airline service in 1914.
The City Council unanimously approved a resolution to sunset the task force after receiving its final report, with further discussions expected as the city considers next steps.
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