UAM MARKET PULSE

by AirIndex · airindex.io
ISSUE 1
Week of March 10, 2026
Weekly UAM Intelligence

Welcome to Issue 1 of UAM Market Pulse — a weekly intelligence briefing from AirIndex tracking the cities, regulations, and operators shaping the future of commercial eVTOL in the United States. Each week we surface what moved, what matters, and what to watch.

LEAD STORY

Miami, FL Hits 100 — A Perfect UAM Readiness Score

Miami, FL became one of the U.S. cities to achieve a perfect score on the AirIndex UAM Market Readiness Index this week, jumping from 80 to 100. Miami, FL now holds all seven readiness factors: an active pilot program, an approved vertiport, active operator presence, vertiport zoning, a favorable regulatory posture, state legislation, and full LAANC airspace coverage.

Why it matters: Markets achieving top-tier readiness scores carry a credibility advantage in operator route planning and infrastructure investment decisions.

MARKET DATA

UAM Readiness Leaderboard — Top 10

# MARKET SCORE TIER CHANGE
1. Dallas, TX 100 ADVANCED —
2. Los Angeles, CA 100 ADVANCED —
3. Miami, FL 100 ADVANCED ↑ +20
4. Orlando, FL 85 ADVANCED —
5. New York, NY 70 MODERATE —
6. San Diego, CA 45 EARLY —
7. San Francisco, CA 40 EARLY —
8. Las Vegas, NV 35 EARLY ↓ -50
9. Phoenix, AZ 35 EARLY ↓ -30
10. Austin, TX 30 EARLY ↓ -15

Average score across all 21 tracked markets: 39.3 · Full index at airindex.io

REGULATORY

What Moved This Week

Miami, FL — has Active Pilot Program
Archer selected for White House Pilot Program in Florida, New York, and Texas, activating pilot programs and operator presence in six tracked cities. — Archer selected for White House Pilot Program in
HIGH · Score updated
New York, NY — has Active Pilot Program
FAA approves air taxi test program in New York City, establishing active pilot program in the market. — Federal approval of Big Apple (New York City) test program for air taxis indicates an active pil
HIGH · Score updated
Dallas, TX — has Active Pilot Program
FAA selects Texas air taxi networks for Advanced Air Mobility Pilot Program, activating pilot program status for Dallas, Houston, and Austin. — FAA has selected Texas air taxi networks for Advanced Ai
HIGH · Score updated
San Francisco, CA — active Operator Presence
Joby Aviation experimental air-taxi testing in Oakland indicates operator activity in the San Francisco Bay Area market. — Joby Aviation experimental air-taxi testing activity spotted in Oakland, Cali
MEDIUM · Pending review
Houston, TX — active Operator Presence
Flying cars announced for Texas, affecting multiple tracked Texas cities (Houston, Dallas, Austin) with operator presence. — Article indicates flying cars (eVTOL operations) coming to Texas, suggestin
MEDIUM · Pending review
Los Angeles, CA — active Operator Presence
Operator expansion detected in op_joby 8-K: op_joby 8-K: 8-K
MEDIUM · Score updated
INDEX SNAPSHOT

Markets by Tier — March 2026

ADVANCED 75–100 Dallas, TX · Los Angeles, CA · Miami, FL · Orlando, FL 4 markets
MODERATE 50–74 New York, NY 1 market
EARLY 30–49 San Diego, CA · San Francisco, CA · Las Vegas, NV · Phoenix, AZ · Austin, TX · Chicago, IL · Houston, TX 7 markets
NASCENT 0–29 Columbus, OH · Atlanta, GA · Boston, MA · Charlotte, NC · Denver, CO · Minneapolis, MN · Nashville, TN · Seattle, WA · Washington DC, DC 9 markets
LOOKING AHEAD

What to Watch — Next 30 Days

1
Joby Aviation FAA Certification Progress
Joby's conforming aircraft test flights are the leading indicator of Part 135 air carrier certification. Any FAA milestone will trigger scoring reviews across Joby markets.
2
State Legislature Sessions
Several state legislatures are in active session with UAM-adjacent bills in committee. Texas, Florida, and North Carolina are markets to watch for new legislation signals.
3
White House AAM Program — City Announcements
Additional city-level announcements from the White House Advanced Air Mobility program are expected. Any indexed city receiving a designation will see an immediate scoring review.
4
AirIndex Pro Launch — April 2026
Full data access, city deep-dives, corridor maps, and the Intel Feed move to paid tiers in April. Free tier access remains available. Early access requests open at airindex.io.
ABOUT AIRINDEX

AirIndex is a UAM market intelligence platform scoring 21 U.S. cities on their readiness for commercial eVTOL operations. Scores are updated automatically when qualifying regulatory, legislative, or operator events are detected.

airindex.io · @AirIndexHQ · hello@airindex.io

UAM Market Pulse · AirIndex by Vertical Data Group, LLC · airindex.io   |   Issue 1 · Week of March 10, 2026