Articles · Transportation and autonomy
Software on the radio. Merlin's account of the Project Nexus kickoff
Merlin says it demonstrated AI-powered air traffic control communications at TxDOT's Project Nexus kickoff. The state's and the FAA's accounts of the day do not name it.
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TxDOT launched the first phase of Project Nexus, a testing program meant to prepare next-generation aircraft for Texas skies. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy, Senator Ted Cruz and TxDOT marked the launch at Fort Worth Alliance Airport, where manufacturers and operators gave an aircraft demonstration. The FAA's account dates the event September 10th, 2026.
Merlin says TxDOT invited it as a supporting participant to demonstrate its Merlin Pilot platform, including autonomous takeoff and landing and AI-powered air traffic control communications. Its release carries a photo of its Cessna Caravan at Alliance Airport. Neither TxDOT's release nor the FAA's account of the day mentions Merlin.
What the program is
The FAA selected TxDOT's proposal for its federal pilot program for electric and advanced aircraft in March 2026. The FAA's selection names Archer, BETA, Joby and Wisk as the Texas project's partners, and Merlin is not among them. The FAA called the Fort Worth event the first demonstration in Texas under the program.
TxDOT says the pilot will advance in phases over the next three years. The first phase tests traditional aircraft such as helicopters and fixed-wing planes. Its first flights carry no passengers and are meant to collect data and validate routes. Later phases test medical and cargo logistics, and the final phase carries passengers on air taxi flights across the Texas triangle.
What Merlin says it showed
Merlin says the demonstration, narrated by its chief executive and founder, Matt George, showed how the Merlin Pilot can safely and effectively perform responsibilities traditionally managed by human pilots. The company says its autonomy reduces pilot workload, improves operational efficiency and enhances safety. Its release labels its expectations about the software's capabilities and performance as forward-looking statements.
Joby said a second Caravan, its J208 fitted with Joby's own autonomous flight technology, would stop at Alliance on the day of the kickoff. Each company's release speaks for its own aircraft.
What the record does not show
TxDOT's release, the FAA's account and Merlin's own release do not say whether a pilot was aboard Merlin's Caravan during the demonstration. None of them prints a measured result such as a rate or a count of interventions. Merlin's release describes its demonstration as safe and effective in its own words.
The FAA says it will use data from the pilot projects to develop new regulations. It said TxDOT and other participants were planning more test flights through the rest of the year. The releases do not say whether the data from those flights will be published.
Sources for this story
- TxDOT news release, Air-taxi testing taking flight in Texas
- FAA news release, Duffy Celebrates Launch of Federal eVTOL Pilot Program in Texas
- FAA news release, Duffy and FAA Unveil Eight Selections for Pilot Program Testing Next-Gen Aircraft
- Merlin press release on GlobeNewswire, as carried by Finviz, Merlin Demonstrates Autonomous Flight Capabilities at Texas Department of Transportation Project NEXUS eIPP Kickoff Event
- Joby Aviation news release, Joby Launches eIPP Flights in Texas, September 10th
Claim-by-claim verification · 48 claims
TxDOT is launching the first phase of Project Nexus, a multi-state testing program meant to prepare next-generation aircraft for future use in Texas skies.
TxDOT is launching the first phase of Project Nexus. This multi-state testing program is focused on safely preparing next-generation aircraft for future use in Texas skies.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy was in Fort Worth on September 10th, 2026 to celebrate the first Texas demonstration under the federal eIPP, according to the FAA.
Thursday, September 10, 2026 FORT WORTH, TX — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy was in Texas today to celebrate the state's first demonstration of its next-generation aircraft under USDOT's Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program (eIPP)
The FAA said the Texas launch made Texas the sixth location to launch under the federal program.
making Texas the sixth location to launch under the Department's initiative
Secretary Duffy and the FAA selected TxDOT's proposal for the federal Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program in March 2026.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Federal Aviation Administration selected TxDOT’s proposal to be part of the new Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program back in March 2026.
The FAA announced on March 9th, 2026 that eight proposals were selected for the Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.
Monday, March 9, 2026 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced eight proposals were selected
The federal pilot program received more than 30 proposals from across the country.
The Advanced Air Mobility and eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (e-IPP) received more than 30 proposals from across the country.
The FAA said the eight selected projects span 26 states.
The eight selected projects span 26 states and involve leading aircraft manufacturers, operators, and state partners.
In the FAA's selection, the Texas project's industry partners will support regional flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and eventually Houston.
Texas Department of Transportation Industry partners will support regional flights connecting Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and eventually Houston, with air taxi networks expanding from each city to extend regional reach.
The FAA's selection names Archer, BETA, Joby and Wisk as the Texas project's partners.
with air taxi networks expanding from each city to extend regional reach. Partners: Archer, BETA, Joby, Wisk
When it announced the selections, the FAA said the public would start to see operations under the program by summer 2026.
The American public will start to see operations begin under this program by summer 2026.
TxDOT lists autonomous flight technologies among the operational concepts the nationwide projects include.
Autonomous flight technologies
The FAA says it will use data from the pilot projects to develop new regulations for this technology.
Data from the pilot projects will be used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop new regulations that safely enable this futuristic technology at scale.
The first phase of Project Nexus tests across Texas with traditional aircraft such as helicopters and fixed-wing planes.
This first phase will test across the state using traditional aircraft such as helicopters and fixed-wing planes.
The initial Project Nexus flights carry no passengers and are meant to collect data and validate routes.
These initial flights will not carry passengers and are designed to collect data, validate routes and support the safe development of future advanced air mobility operations.
Duffy, Senator Ted Cruz and TxDOT launched the first phase at Fort Worth Alliance Airport, where manufacturers and operators gave an aircraft demonstration.
Duffy, Cruz, and TxDOT helped launch this first phase at Fort Worth Alliance Airport. Manufacturers and operators were also there to provide an aircraft demonstration.
TxDOT says the Texas pilot will advance in phases over the next three years.
The Texas pilot will advance in phases over the next three years.
The next phases test medical and cargo logistics, such as moving critical medical supplies or organs between rural facilities and urban medical centers in Austin and San Antonio.
The next phases involve testing for medical and cargo logistics, such as transporting critical medical supplies or organs between rural facilities and urban medical centers in Austin and San Antonio.
The final phase carries passengers on air taxi flights across the Texas triangle.
The final phase involves passengers in “air taxi” flights across the Texas triangle.
TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams called Project Nexus a chance to gather real-world data and build a framework for how electric aircraft could one day connect the state.
Project Nexus is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to gather real-world data, improve safety and build a framework for how electric aircraft could one day connect people, goods and communities across the state.
The FAA's account says officials and industry watched demonstrations of BETA Technologies' ALIA electric aircraft and Joby Aviation's S4 eVTOL.
Federal officials, industry stakeholders and state leaders gathered to watch demonstrations of BETA Technologies' ALIA electric aircraft and Joby Aviation's S4 eVTOL
The FAA said the demonstrations at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport were the first in Texas sponsored under the eIPP, which partnered BETA, Joby and TxDOT.
The demonstrations at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport (AFW) were the first in Texas sponsored under eIPP, which partnered BETA, Joby, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
The FAA said Joby's aircraft would fly a round trip from AFW to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport that Saturday to test operations between major airports.
On Saturday, Joby's aircraft will fly a roundtrip flight from AFW to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to test flight operations between major airports.
TxDOT and other eIPP participants were planning more test flights through the rest of 2026, according to the FAA.
TxDOT and other eIPP participants are planning additional test flights through the rest of the year.
BETA Technologies CEO Kyle Clark said that in Texas the company is working with partners to move cargo and medical supplies and support disaster response and offshore operations.
In Texas, we are working with our partners to move cargo and medical supplies, support disaster response and offshore operations, and understand what it takes to make these missions work at scale.
Merlin says it took part in the September 10th, 2026 kickoff as an invited guest, alongside eIPP partners Joby Aviation and BETA Technologies.
BOSTON, Sept. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merlin, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRLN), an aerospace and defense technology company building the operating system of record for autonomous flight, today participated as an invited guest in the kickoff event
By Merlin's own account, TxDOT invited it as a supporting participant to demonstrate its AI-powered autonomy platform, the Merlin Pilot. Merlin says that included autonomous takeoff and landing and AI-powered air traffic control communications.
TxDOT invited Merlin to the event as a supporting participant, enabling Merlin to demonstrate core capabilities of its AI-powered autonomy platform, the Merlin Pilot™, including autonomous takeoff and landing, AI-powered Air Traffic Control communications, and dynamic autonomous in-flight re-planning and threat avoidance.
Merlin says the demonstration, narrated by its CEO and founder Matt George, showcased how the Merlin Pilot can perform responsibilities traditionally handled by human pilots.
The demonstration, narrated by CEO and founder, Matt George, showcased how the Merlin Pilot can safely and effectively perform responsibilities traditionally managed by human pilots
Merlin says its autonomy reduces pilot workload, improves operational efficiency and enhances safety in the national airspace system.
Merlin is helping demonstrate how autonomy can predictably operate in the United States National Airspace System (NAS), while reducing pilot workload, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing safety.
Merlin CTO Tim Burns said events like the kickoff help generate the real world operational data needed to move autonomy toward safe deployment.
Events like this help generate the real world operational data and shared understanding needed to move autonomy as well as other next generation technologies from development toward safe deployment at scale.
Project Nexus brings together Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and the Choctaw Nation.
The multi-state initiative brings together Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and the Choctaw Nation to help advance the safe integration of AAM into the NAS.
Merlin's own release labels its expectations about the capabilities and performance of the Merlin Pilot as forward-looking statements.
Merlin’s expectations regarding the capabilities, performance, and applications of the Merlin Pilot autonomy platform
Merlin's release carries a photo of its Cessna Caravan at Alliance Airport.
Merlin Cessna Caravan at Alliance Airport
A Dallas Innovates photo caption credited to TxDOT shows a modified Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Merlin Labs in the Project Nexus test flights.
A modified Cessna 208B Grand Caravan operated by Merlin Labs participates in the Project Nexus test flights. [Photo: Texas Department of Transportation]
Joby published a North Texas flight campaign schedule running from September 10th through September 14th, 2026.
Flight Campaign Schedule from Sept 10 through Sept 14
Joby said its aircraft would enter DFW's controlled airspace and land directly at DFW Corporate Aviation.
Joby’s aircraft will enter DFW’s controlled airspace, landing directly at DFW Corporate Aviation
Joby said J208, a Cessna 208B Caravan fitted with its autonomous flight technology, would stop at AFW on September 10th, 2026.
J208, a Cessna 208B Caravan with Joby's autonomous flight technology installed that is currently completing coast-to-coast flight demonstrations that began in Concord, California on Sept. 8. The aircraft is part of Joby Autonomy, a program working to apply the company's self-flying systems to both commercial and defense applications. J208 will make a stop at AFW on Sept. 10.
Joby leased a 45,000-square-foot facility at Perot Field within the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone.
Joby recently leased a 45,000-square-foot facility at Perot Field within the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone.
Joby says it is in the fifth and final stage of FAA type certification.
As Joby advances through the fifth and final stage of FAA type certification
AVweb described the Joby S4 flying the North Texas campaign as piloted.
Joby is conducting a weeklong campaign from Sept. 10 through Sept. 14 that will take its piloted S4 across the Dallas-Fort Worth area
Dallas Innovates reported the goal is to launch air taxi service in Dallas-Fort Worth and elsewhere in Texas in 2029.
The goal? Launch air taxi service in Dallas-Fort Worth and elsewhere in Texas in 2029.
Volvo says its autonomous freight hauls in Texas currently run with an observer in the driver's seat.
Currently autonomous hauls are run with an observer
Memorial Hermann says patients have sent 32% fewer follow-up messages about test results when clinicians started from the AI tool's draft.
patients have sent 32% fewer follow-up messages about test results
UT San Antonio says the AI model in its prototype flood sensing station reached 98.82% validation accuracy in initial assessments after training.
achieving 98.82% validation accuracy in initial assessments post-training
UT San Antonio puts the parts cost of one prototype flood sensing station at roughly $150 to $220.
The total cost of parts for one prototype sensing station ranges from roughly $150 to $220.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas is asking a Travis County judge to block release of data center information, according to a Texas Tribune story republished by KXAN.
The Public Utility Commission of Texas is asking a Travis County judge to block the release of information
Hays County Commissioners Court voted 3 to 2 on September 15th, 2026 to reallocate funding set aside for a future Axon contract.
In a 3-2 vote on Sept. 15, the court approved a motion to reallocate the determined funding for a future Axon contract
The Hays County court will no longer consider a future 10-year, $4.5 million contract with Axon, Community Impact reported.
The court will no longer consider a future 10-year, $4.5 million contract with the company.
Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would do everything in his power to stop the Taylor data center development if it is unlawful, KUT reported on September 17th, 2026.
If the Taylor data center development is unlawful, I will do everything in my power to stop it