Title
a. Approve and authorize the County Administrative Officer, or designee, to execute a Memorandum of Understanding for a term of three years beginning December 31, 2025 between the County of Monterey and Caltrans Division of Aeronautics and Partners of the American Air Advantage Consortium to coordinate and execute a regional eVTOL Integration Pilot Project that supports the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation’s goal of accelerating safe and lawful Advanced Air Mobility integration into the National Airspace System and informing the development of future guidance, regulations, and operational frameworks; and
b. Authorize the Economic Development Manager to execute the necessary amendments to the agreement that do not significantly alter the scope of work.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Approve and authorize the County Administrative Officer, or designee, to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a term of three (3) years beginning December 31, 2025 between the County of Monterey and Caltrans Division of Aeronautics and Partners of the American Air Advantage (A³) Consortium to coordinate and execute a regional eVTOL Integration Pilot Project that supports the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) goal of accelerating safe and lawful Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) integration into the National Airspace System (NAS) and informing the development of future guidance, regulations, and operational frameworks; and
b. Authorize the Economic Development Manager to execute the necessary amendments to the agreement that do not significantly alter the scope of work.
SUMMARY:
American Air Advantage (A³) aims to establish a continuous, multi-county low-altitude mobility corridor across North-Central California, enabling safe, scalable, and community-driven integration of: Air Taxi Mobility, Autonomous Cargo & Logistics, and Medical Logistics & Emergency Response. The A³ Consortium builds on strong OEM presence, engaged local governments, UC research institutions, and a corridor-scale set of community partners. The resulting insights will support Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) policy development and contribute directly to nationwide Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) readiness ahead of LA28 and beyond. The goal is to generate operational, regulatory, and community insights that will guide FAA policy and aggressively accelerate the national adoption of AAM.
DISCUSSION:
The A³ demonstration program includes three coordinated operational tracks, each progressing through Years one (1), two (2), and three (3) with increasing complexity, scale, and policy relevance.
Through three (3) coordinated tracks - Air Taxi, Autonomous Cargo, and Medical Logistics - the consortium ensures the FAA receives diverse operational data, advancing policy guidance on airspace management, automation safety, and workforce transformation consistent with Executive Order - “Unleashing American Drone Dominance.”
Track one (1): Air Taxi Mobility, would involve Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation as two of the A³ Consortium that would be involved from the County of Monterey. Year one (1) of this track would involve air taxi demonstrations serving large public events in Monterey/Santa Cruz/ Santa Clara counties. Data on community acceptance, noise, passenger flow, and temporary vertiport procedures would be collected. The development of an inter-county air mobility corridor connecting Monterey Bay to the Silicon Valley and Contra Costa County as well as integration with Class B airspace in Santa Clara County would be taking place during year two (2) of this track. Year three (3) would involve a multi-county demonstration network. This includes a multi-leg, multi-county passenger operations across at least four counties, and community engagement data to inform FAA integration guidance for Los Angeles Olympics 2028 (LA28)-scale deployments.
The American Air Advantage (A³) framework delivers a replicable, data-driven model for national AAM deployment - linking rural access, regional mobility, and emergency response to inform urban scalability for LA28.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Office of the County Counsel have approved this Board Report and Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form.
FINANCING:
This action does not impact the General Fund.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS:
This initiative supports the County of Monterey’s 2025-2026 Strategic Plan Goals through the sustainability of infrastructure and economic growth.
Mark a check to the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Plan Goals:
____ Well-Being and Quality of Life
_X_ Sustainable Infrastructure for the Present and Future
____ Safe and Resilient Communities
_X_ Diverse and Thriving Economy
Link to the Strategic Plan:
<https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/home/showdocument?id=139569>
Prepared by:
Isela Sandoval, Management Analyst II, ext 7214
Richard Vaughn, Economic Development Manager, ext 5602
Approved by:
Deborah Paolinelli, Assistant County Administrative Officer, ext 5309
Attachments:
MOU
American Air Advantage elPP Consortium Framework