The Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) is working with Bell-Dancy Industries (BDI), an autonomous infrastructure & logistics company, to implement the Autonomous Landing & Take-Off Assistant (ALTA), its proprietary air traffic management system across ramp facilities at airports in the city, according to a MDAD press release.
The agreement covers both Miami International Airport (MIA) and the surrounding Miami-Dade County airports, with a focus on Miami Executive (TMB), “making Miami-Dade County one of the first major metropolitan aviation systems in the nation to actively prepare for the commercial arrival of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi services,” said the airport.
“At the heart of this partnership is “SafeLand,” a structured pilot program that will stand up the physical and digital infrastructure necessary to better support air taxi operations in an urban aviation environment,” said MDAD in the press release. BDI will deploy ALTA across ramp facilities at TMB, establishing a live testing ground where AAM operational impact can be validated in real conditions.
“What we are building with MDAD is not just a pilot program — it is a repeatable model. South Florida’s density, its multicultural energy, and its role as a global crossroads make it one of the most compelling environments to demonstrate what AAM can do,” said Darrell Bell, CEO, Bell-Dancy Industries. “We are excited to bridge the gap between local communities in California, Texas, and now Florida, and we plan to bring that same standard of excellence to Miami-Dade. The infrastructure we build here will serve as a reference point for cities around the world.”
And although SafeLand was structured before the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) eVTOL Integrated Pilot Program (eIPP), SafeLand complements the FAA’s Air Taxi initiatives by addressing the National Air Strategy’s goals for increased safety metrics outlined by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, according to MDAD.
The programme will launch with manned drone operations to stress-test MDAD’s capability with ALTA, reducing operational impact and increasing safety for air taxi operators and passengers alike. Before advancing to full-scale eVTOL aircraft, MDAD will coordinate directly with the (FAA), serving as the operational authority over all testing activity across all sites.
“MDAD operates five airports that serve very different communities and aviation needs, which is precisely why this program matters so much here,” said Ralph Cutie, Director and CEO, Miami-Dade Aviation Department. “Testing at TMB gives us the breadth to understand how air taxi infrastructure performs across our different operational environments and supports our preparations for Phase 1 operations with FDOT. Our job is to be ready — not just to welcome this technology, but to ensure it arrives in a way that is safe, seamless, and serves all of South Florida.”
“BDI is actively engaged in supporting SunTrax, FDOT’s dedicated air taxi testing facility, which serves as the statewide proving ground for eVTOL technology,” continued the MDAD. “The BDI SafeLand program in Miami-Dade will serve as direct support for this statewide effort, bridging the gap between controlled facility testing at SunTrax and operational urban integration in South Florida’s busiest airspace. Together, these converging capabilities signal a major opportunity for the State of Florida and for AAM as a whole to embrace the future with local, state, and federal support.”
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(Image: A rendering of BDI’s ALTA (Autonomous Landing and Take-Off Assistant)