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Columbus

OH, US
#19 OF 25
LIVE·Data as of May 21, 2026·AIS · Methodology v1.3·Sources: FKB · MCS · OID · RPL · FPIS·Sourced from public records · Override audit trail available
25NASCENT
How is this scored? · See factor breakdown →Score history →
Dec '25Jan '26
—
FRIENDLYBURDEN: LOWBILLS MOVINGWX PARTIAL
SCORE BREAKDOWN
PILOT PROGRAM
0/15
VERTIPORT
0/15
OPERATORS
0/15
ZONING
0/15
REGULATORY
10/10
LEGISLATION
10/20
OH HR304 adopted — legislature formally supports vertical takeoff and air mobility; HB 251 (vertiports as aviation infrastructure) passed House, in Senate committee
VERIFIED 2026-03
WEATHER
5/10
CMH and LCK airport weather stations provide regional coverage; Ohio eIPP proposal includes weather component
VERIFIED 2026-03
FACTOR TRENDS
Factor trend analysis is available on Professional.
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REGULATORY LANDSCAPEPosture + Burden · two parallel axes
PostureFRIENDLYScoring · 10pts

Stance — how friendly state and municipal government posture is toward AAM infrastructure. Currently scored as a single weight in the AirIndex 7-factor model.

BurdenlowTracked · not yet scored

Ohio DOT Office of Aviation provides minimal state-level review beyond FAA deference. Columbus and Cincinnati have relatively unconstrained Class C airspace and streamlined municipal review. Initial assessment pending verification.

First-pass assessment · pending credentialed-advisor verification
Burden measures process friction — documents, reviews, public notices, and time-to-approve. A state can be posture-friendly AND burden-heavy simultaneously (e.g., Florida has enacted UAM legislation but requires a 13-document packet for heliport approval). Methodology.
OPERATOR PRESENCE
No specific operator has been catalogued for this market yet.
See pipeline signals for this market →
VERTIPORT INFRASTRUCTURE
No specific vertiport has been catalogued for this market yet.
See pipeline signals for this market →
AIR CORRIDORS
No specific corridor has been catalogued for this market yet.
See pipeline signals for this market →
KEY MILESTONES
▶DriveOhio publishes nation's first state AAM framework
▶ODOT creates dedicated AAM Division (Mar 2025)
▶Ohio submits multi-state eIPP proposal with BETA/Joby/DHL (Jan 2026)
▶Joby opens Dayton propeller manufacturing facility (Oct 2025)
▶Joby acquires second 700K sq ft Dayton facility (Jan 2026)
▶HB 251 (vertiport/heliport infrastructure) passes House, in Senate committee
▶SkyVision FAA-designated UAS test site operational in Springfield
MARKET INTELLIGENCE

Ohio has arguably the most organized state-level AAM strategy in the US. DriveOhio published the nation's first AAM framework covering route planning, vertiport recommendations, and a strategic roadmap. ODOT created a dedicated AAM Division (Mar 2025) led by Robert Tanner, co-located with the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence in Springfield. Ohio submitted a multi-state eIPP proposal (Jan 2026) with BETA Technologies, Joby, and DHL for medical cargo between Indianapolis, Columbus, and Akron. Joby operates a propeller blade manufacturing facility in Dayton (opened Oct 2025) with plans for 700K+ sq ft expansion to support 500 aircraft/year production. HB 251 — defining vertiports as aviation infrastructure under Ohio law — passed the House and is in Senate committee. SkyVision FAA-designated UAS test site at Springfield-Beckley provides BVLOS testing capability. State estimates $13B AAM economic impact through 2045.

ALERT SUBSCRIPTIONS
LAST UPDATED 2026-05-21← BACK TO MARKETS
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