The federal government has selected the Houma-Terrebonne Airport as one of eight sites nationwide to test how next-generation aircraft can safely integrate into the National Airspace System.
Louisiana Transportation Secretary Glenn Ledet told Talk 107-3 highly automated and electrically powered aircraft will take off and land there.
“Initially it’s cargo and logistics getting to and from oil rigs as well as, really, any oil and gas or energy site across the Gulf Coast,” Ledet said.
Ledet says the airport’s high volume of air traffic provides a real-world setting for evaluating how emerging aircraft can operate safely alongside established helicopters and fixed-wing planes.
“Figure out how do we at DOTD and the FAA partner to develop a safe policy so that it can be incorporated, not only obviously at home in Terrebonne, but across the state and across the U.S.,” Ledet noted.
Ledet says Louisiana was chosen because of its strong connection with the energy industry. He says the aircraft that will be used is electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft and autonomous heavy-cargo drones.
“You can get to and from a rig for relatively cheap and bring cargo; and so, it’s actually reducing the cost of bringing cargo to and from places,” Ledet explained.
