Who Builds the Sky? How Regional Partnerships Are Laying the Groundwork for Advanced Air Mobility

In the latest episode of the Drone Radio Show, Lavera Alexander, Chief Growth Officer at the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP), offered an in-depth look at the future of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) — arguing that its success hinges not only on aircraft technology, but equally on regional cooperation, airport infrastructure development, and coordinated economic planning.

Regional Collaboration Is the Key to AAM Deployment

Alexander noted that conversations about AAM tend to fixate on eVTOL aircraft specs or battery range, often overlooking a more fundamental question: where will these aircraft actually land, and who will manage the surrounding airspace and ground facilities?

As a regional economic development organization serving California's Monterey Bay area, MBEP has worked to connect local governments, airport authorities, private enterprises, and academic institutions to co-develop an AAM infrastructure roadmap tailored to local needs. Alexander emphasized that this bottom-up, regionally driven model of collaboration is the core engine for bringing AAM into communities and making it work for everyday residents.

The Role of Airport Infrastructure

Traditional airports play an indispensable role in the AAM ecosystem. Alexander noted that upgrading existing airports to support eVTOL operations — effectively transforming them into vertiport-capable facilities — could significantly accelerate the commercial timeline for AAM. However, achieving this requires three essential ingredients: local government policy support, federal funding, and community buy-in. None of the three can be missing.

Connecting AAM to Economic Development

MBEP's work also highlights the strong link between AAM and regional economic growth. New air mobility corridors have the potential to improve transportation access in underserved and remote areas, attract business investment, and create local jobs. Alexander argued that positioning AAM as a tool for regional economic revitalization — rather than simply a technology showcase — is far more effective at securing long-term support from policymakers and investors.

Conclusion

This episode of the Drone Radio Show serves as a reminder to the industry: building the future of the sky requires more than better aircraft. It demands a complete ecosystem built from the ground up through cross-sector, community-rooted collaboration. Lavera Alexander and MBEP's hands-on experience offers a replicable regional partnership model for other communities looking to get ahead of the AAM curve.

Content sourced from DRONELIFE, compiled and translated by our editorial team.

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