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Utah Begins Real-World Hybrid-Electric Aircraft Demonstrations

Mission marks ‘first of several’ planned flights at state’s airports.

Friday, August 07, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET

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Ampaire’s hybrid-electric EEL conducts a demonstration flight over Salt Lake City. [Credit: Ampaire]

Key Takeaways:

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has initiated real-world demonstrations of Ampaire's hybrid-electric EEL aircraft in Utah, marking the start of its "uFLY" project.
These flights are part of the FAA's three-year eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which aims to collect data from pre-certified electric, hybrid, and autonomous aircraft to inform future regulatory standards.
The program seeks to demonstrate how advanced air mobility can enhance services such as cargo delivery, emergency response, and passenger transportation, particularly strengthening urban-rural connectivity.

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The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has launched real-world demonstrations with a hybrid-electric aircraft, which Thursday morning flew close to 250 miles from Salt Lake City to Cedar City.

Utah residents who missed the landmark flight need not worry. UDOT said it was the “first of several” hybrid-electric demonstrations to come over the next three years under a new FAA program.

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.