Reliable Robotics, Sunport Complete First Autonomous Flights Under Advanced Air Mobility Pilot Program

Flights conducted through a federal initiative led by the U.S. DOT and FAA help advance the safe integration of autonomous aircraft into commercial aviation

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. & ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Reliable Robotics, the leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced the completion of its first autonomous flights at the Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), New Mexico’s largest commercial airport. Operations were conducted under the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Advanced Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Pilot Program (eIPP).

The City of Albuquerque Aviation Department was selected for the eIPP and is partnering with Reliable to bring safety-enhancing autonomy to regional air cargo operations in the Four Corners region of the United States.

“These demonstrations in Albuquerque help ensure we’re prioritizing Advanced Air Mobility integration safely and efficiently,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. “Every test flight provides critical data to help build a system that strengthens our nation’s infrastructure and connects communities.”

VALIDATING AUTONOMY IN COMPLEX AIRSPACE

Reliable conducted a two-day flight campaign with its automated Cessna 208B Grand Caravan at ABQ, a major international airport that supports a complex mix of joint-use military and civilian traffic within Class C airspace. The aircraft is upgraded with the Reliable Autonomy System (RAS), a system enabling full gate-to-gate automated aircraft operations.

During the campaign, the automated Caravan performed auto-taxi, auto-takeoff and auto-landing operations. A remote pilot more than 700 miles away at Reliable’s Mountain View, CA headquarters, along with an onboard safety pilot, supervised the flight, communicating with Air Traffic Control and commanding the aircraft in real time, enabling safe and seamless integration with the existing airspace infrastructure.

“Our city has always been a place where big ideas take flight, and we want to be a city that says yes to new technology and new opportunities,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “By putting the Sunport to work as a testing ground for the future of aviation, we’re helping bring new industries to New Mexico, strengthen our regional economy, and show what’s possible when we embrace innovation.”

The Cessna 208B Caravan is the world's most popular utility turboprop aircraft, capable of transporting 1,000 pounds of cargo across more than 1,000 nautical miles.

“Our partnership with Reliable Robotics reflects the kind of collaboration we embrace at the Sunport—working with aviation innovators and the FAA to help shape the future of flight. It is an honor to be one of just eight designees nationwide participating in the FAA’s eIPP,” said City of Albuquerque Director of Aviation Manny Manriquez. “With a focus on advancing autonomous aircraft operations, we take seriously our responsibility to help inform the safe integration of these emerging technologies into the National Airspace System by providing the data and insights the FAA needs to develop appropriate policies and requirements for this evolving industry.”

EXPANDING REGIONAL CARGO CONNECTIVITY

Through the eIPP project, Reliable and the City of Albuquerque are demonstrating how automated air cargo service could improve connections between communities across the Four Corners region, including smaller and rural markets.

The program will enable Reliable to conduct pre-certification commercial operations through daily regional air cargo delivery services from the Sunport to the Durango-La Plata County Airport in Colorado and the Santa Fe Regional Airport in New Mexico. Reliable’s subsidiary, commercial air cargo provider, Reliable Airlines, will conduct the autonomous air cargo operations.

These planned routes underscore the potential for Albuquerque to serve as a regional connection point for emerging cargo aviation services while helping inform how autonomous aircraft could support commercial transportation in the future.

“Reliable’s work with the FAA and the City of Albuquerque is building the roadmap for integrating autonomy into high-density airspaces, clearing a major hurdle toward commercial operations,” said Robert Rose, CEO and co-founder, Reliable Robotics. “We’re excited by this significant milestone, and to show how autonomy can both benefit national competitiveness and bring value to everyday Americans."

Reliable will collect operational data throughout the program, across increasingly complex operations, and will share insights to support the development of regulations and guidance supporting the integration of autonomous aircraft into the National Airspace System (NAS).

RELIABLE’S AUTONOMY TECHNOLOGY

Reliable’s autonomy technology enhances aviation safety by directly addressing the most common causes of aviation accidents. The RAS is aircraft agnostic and integrates with existing aviation infrastructure and certified aircraft–it requires no changes to the NAS for commercial operations at airports across the United States.

Reliable’s Detect and Avoid system, which includes its state-of-the-art Radar and the FAA’s Advanced Collision Avoidance System X (ACAS X), autonomously mitigates traffic conflicts. Reliable has the only FAA-accepted certification plan, and means of compliance for continuous autopilot engagement. Reliable is certifying its autonomy technology for commercial operations in the United States with the FAA.

Reliable is building the next generation of automation technology. Join the mission: https://reliable.co/careers.

About Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics is bringing certifiable autonomy to commercial and defense aviation. The company’s automation system is designed to work on any aircraft, in any airspace, and to directly address the most common causes of aviation incidents. Reliable’s vision is to transform the way we move goods and people around the planet with safer, more affordable and more scalable air transportation. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and has a distributed global workforce. Learn more at reliable.co, and connect on LinkedIn, YouTube and X.

About the Albuquerque International Sunport

Owned and operated by the City of Albuquerque’s Aviation Department, the Albuquerque International Sunport is New Mexico’s largest commercial airport, welcoming over 5 million passengers each year. Served by six major carriers, three cargo carriers and two commuter airlines, the Sunport offers nonstop service between Albuquerque and 32 destinations, with worldwide connectivity.