Eric Tanenblatt
Georgia has never prospered by standing still. From building the world’s busiest airport to becoming one of America’s leading logistics, manufacturing, and technology hubs, our state has consistently embraced innovations that connect people, commerce, and ideas. The next transportation revolution is already on the horizon, and Georgia should position itself to lead it.
That revolution is advanced air mobility—the use of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, to move people quickly, quietly, and sustainably across metropolitan regions. Companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are moving rapidly toward commercial operations. The question is no longer whether this technology will arrive, but whether Georgia will seize the opportunity to become its national leader.
History suggests we should.
When Georgia invested in Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, few could have imagined it would become the world’s busiest airport and one of the state’s greatest economic engines. Likewise, investments in our interstate highway system, ports, and logistics infrastructure transformed Georgia into the gateway of the Southeast. Today, another inflection point is approaching.
Imagine boarding an electric aircraft in Buckhead and arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson in ten minutes rather than sitting in traffic for forty-five. Picture business travelers moving efficiently between Atlanta, Athens, Macon, Columbus, Augusta, Savannah, and other growing economic centers. Consider how emergency medical transport, disaster response, and time-sensitive freight could all benefit from a new layer of mobility above our increasingly congested highways.
This is not about replacing cars, buses, or rail. It is about adding another tool to a growing transportation ecosystem.
Transportation is not an either-or proposition. We did not stop building highways because we had airports, nor abandon rail because we built ports. The most successful economies embrace multiple modes of transportation, each serving its unique purpose. Advanced air mobility should be viewed as the next addition to that network.
The opportunity is not hypothetical for Georgia. In fact, our state is already becoming an important player in this emerging industry. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has invested in Joby Aviation, recognizing that advanced air mobility could become an important extension of the passenger travel experience. At the same time, Archer Aviation is establishing a manufacturing facility in Georgia, bringing high-quality jobs, engineering talent, and investment to our state.
Imagine landing at Hartsfield-Jackson after a cross-country flight and seamlessly connecting to an electric air taxi that takes you to Buckhead, Midtown, Alpharetta, or another destination in minutes. The future of aviation is no longer simply about getting from one city to another—it is about improving the entire door-to-door journey.
The economic implications extend well beyond the aircraft themselves. Georgia is already home to world-class aerospace companies, logistics firms, research universities, and technology innovators. Building an advanced air mobility ecosystem would create opportunities in manufacturing, engineering, software development, battery technology, maintenance, workforce training, construction, and infrastructure development. It would attract investment while reinforcing Georgia’s reputation as one of the nation’s premier destinations for innovation.
Perhaps the greatest opportunity lies in the infrastructure that will support these aircraft. Tomorrow’s “vertiports”—the equivalent of train stations or airport terminals for electric aircraft—could become integrated transportation hubs featuring charging facilities, autonomous vehicle connections, retail, and mixed-use development. They represent not simply transportation infrastructure but catalysts for economic growth.
Georgia is uniquely positioned to demonstrate how advanced air mobility can work in concert with autonomous ground transportation. Imagine leaving your home in an autonomous shuttle, arriving at a nearby vertiport, taking a short electric flight across the region, and completing the final mile in another autonomous vehicle. The journey would be seamless, efficient, and increasingly affordable as the technology matures.
Of course, this future will not arrive overnight. Safety must remain paramount, and federal certification, infrastructure development, and public acceptance will take time. But waiting until the technology is fully mature would mean allowing other states to establish themselves as leaders while Georgia follows behind.
Instead, Georgia’s elected officials, business leaders, universities, airports, and economic development organizations should begin planning now. We should identify potential vertiport locations, encourage partnerships among airports, developers, technology companies, utilities, and research institutions, and work with federal policymakers to ensure Georgia becomes the premier destination for investment in advanced air mobility.
Georgia has repeatedly built its success by looking ahead—investing in infrastructure before others recognized its value and embracing innovation before it became conventional wisdom. Advanced air mobility represents the next chapter of that story.
The future of transportation will not be confined to roads or rails alone. It will be multimodal, autonomous, electric, and increasingly airborne. Georgia possesses the world’s busiest airport, a thriving aerospace sector, a talented workforce, leading research institutions, and a business climate that encourages innovation.
Other states will compete aggressively for the jobs and investment this new industry will create. Georgia should not simply participate in that future—it should lead it.
Our next competitive advantage may not be another highway or another runway.
It may very well be the sky.
Eric Tanenblatt is Global Chair of Public Policy and Regulation at Dentons and co-founder of the firm’s Global Autonomous Vehicles practice. He has served in the administrations of three U.S. Presidents, as senior advisor to U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell, and as Chief of Staff to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue and has written extensively on innovation, transportation, and economic development.
