Maryland Readies for Aviation Revolution

Advanced aviation technologies, including drones and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, are expected to transform the movement of people and goods in the coming years. With an eye to economic potential, Maryland is taking steps to stay ahead of the trend.

The state’s new Maryland Advanced Air Mobility Council (MAAMC), established by Governor Wes Moore, kicked off its activities with an inaugural session in February, with twice-monthly meetings to follow. An executive order by Governor Moore tasked the body with delivering recommendations to guide maximization of the positive economic and public service impact of the emerging aviation technologies while ensuring safety and an informed public.

“The goal here is to be ahead of the game,” said UMD UAS Research and Operations Center Director John Slaughter, an MAAMC member. “We know that big transformations are coming, and the economic benefits will be substantial. At the same time, we want to prioritize safe, responsible operations.”

Slaughter was instrumental in the formation of the new council, which evolved from a recommendation in a white paper he drew up in 2023. Other members of the council include the Maryland secretaries of commerce, planning, and transportation, as well as other state officials and representatives of the private sector.

Advanced air mobility, as defined in the council’s charter, refers to the integration of highly automated aircraft, both crewed and uncrewed, into the national airspace, powered by electricity and operating at low altitudes. It represents new modes of transportation using a collection of new and emerging technologies that are being added to the state’s multimodal transportation system.

A striking demonstration of the potential applications took place in 2019, when UROC—then known as the UMD UAS Test Site—successfully used a drone to deliver a transplant organ to a patient at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

More recently, UROC was tapped by the state to lead a pilot program aimed at using drones to deliver prescriptions and other medical supplies to isolated residents of remote communities, such as Smith Island. The UMD center, based at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport in Southern Maryland, is also working with the state to establish a Chesapeake UAS Route Network, which will start by enabling crewed and uncrewed aircraft to safely share an aviation corridor spanning the bay.

Published March 21, 2025