Florida is building the first dedicated test track in the United States for Advanced Air Mobility, a state‑backed effort to give emerging “flying taxi” aircraft a place to prove themselves before they carry passengers or cargo.

At the SunTrax transportation technology campus, a joint venture between Prince Contracting (a FlatironDragados subsidiary) and Turner Construction Company is constructing an eVTOL testing environment for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) that combines airfield infrastructure, energy systems and controlled low‑altitude airspace.

The project mirrors other high‑profile aerospace infrastructure moves in the Southeast. Just as Otto Aerospace advances a $430 million jet manufacturing campus at Jacksonville’s Cecil Airport, Florida is now putting in place the ground and air infrastructure needed to test the next generation of electric aircraft that could one day link cities and regions.

A proving ground for an aerial highway

Advanced Air Mobility centers on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can hop short regional routes without relying on runways or roads. Before operators can launch commercial services, they need realistic places to test aircraft performance, vertiport operations, charging workflows and safety systems.

SunTrax is being built to fill that gap. The expansion adds vertiports, charging and parking positions, maintenance and research space, taxiways, supporting utilities, and a dedicated testing airspace over the 775‑acre campus, creating a controlled setting where multiple companies can evaluate aircraft and ground systems side by side.

FDOT and its partners describe the site as a proving ground for an aerial highway network — a place where the rules, infrastructure and technology for urban and regional air mobility can be tested and refined before wider deployment.

While Florida builds a testbed for electric aircraft, another major aerospace project is advancing in Jacksonville. Otto Aerospace has filed for an environmental permit to construct a $430 million Phantom 3500 manufacturing facility and headquarters at Cecil Airport, a move tied to more than 400 high‑paying jobs and a long‑term plan to turn the site into a regional aerospace hub.

First AAM company sets up U.S. base

The facility’s role as Florida’s AAM headquarters took shape in 2025 when Governor Ron DeSantis designated SunTrax as the state’s home for advanced air mobility, prompting upgrades to vertiports, hangars and training infrastructure.

In August 2026, eVTOL developer AIR announced it would establish its U.S. headquarters and an eVTOL production and flight operations hub at SunTrax. Taking roughly 20,000 square feet on campus and planning to expand as operations grow. The company says it will be the first AAM manufacturer to produce and operate eVTOL aircraft in Florida. Relocating flight test programs to the site as they advance toward production.

Testing timeline and federal tie‑in

State officials have said Florida is preparing to launch eVTOL flying taxi and autonomous vehicle testing before the end of 2026, with SunTrax Air as the central venue.

The effort also dovetails with federal policy: the FAA has selected Florida as a partner in an Advanced Air Mobility pilot program, with testing to be conducted at the Auburndale site under the agency’s AAM and eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.

Why it matters for infrastructure

For construction and infrastructure audiences, the SunTrax expansion is more than a novelty. It is a first‑of‑its‑kind, multimodal build that blends aviation facilities, high‑power charging, intelligent transportation systems and dedicated airspace — a physical template for the aerial mobility networks that regulators and operators expect to scale over the next decade.

Project fact sheet: SunTrax AAM expansion

• Project: SunTrax Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) expansion
• Location: SunTrax campus, Auburndale (Polk County), Florida
• Client: Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
• Contractors: Prince Contracting LLC (FlatironDragados subsidiary); Turner Construction Company
• Scope: Vertiports; charging and parking positions; maintenance and research facilities; taxiways; utilities; dedicated low‑altitude testing airspace
• Significance: First dedicated AAM test track in the U.S.; supports Florida’s designation as the state’s AAM headquarters
• Context: Part of state plans to begin eVTOL and autonomous vehicle testing by end‑2026; tied to FAA AAM pilot program with testing at SunTrax