By: Lisa Wright (Founder, Landings)
Florida’s decision to allow state funding to cover up to 100% of vertiport development costs where federal funds are unavailable, or up to 80% of the nonfederal share when federal funding is involved, effective July 1, 2026, represents the most aggressive public commitment to advanced air mobility infrastructure any U.S. state has made. According to Lisa Wright, founder of Landings, no other state has moved in a similar direction. The reasons may reveal as much about real estate economics as about aviation policy.
The policy separates funding from any specific aircraft manufacturer or technology and treats vertiport infrastructure as a public asset, a design choice that reflects Florida’s unique fiscal structure and development priorities.
Why Florida Moved First
Wright attributes Florida’s willingness to fund vertiport infrastructure to the state’s fiscal model. “Florida has a huge real estate and developer industry, and no state income tax. A lot of the state’s revenue is tied to real estate activity,” she notes. “So finding ways to make real estate more valuable is well within Florida’s purview.”
From this perspective, funding infrastructure amenities that increase property values is a direct fiscal strategy. The same economic reasoning that drives Florida to invest in beaches, marinas, and resort infrastructure applies to vertiports.
That reasoning does not transfer automatically to states with different tax structures. States relying more heavily on income taxes, or with weaker real estate development industries, have less direct fiscal incentive to fund vertiport infrastructure. The connection between ground infrastructure investment and tax revenue is less visible in those contexts, even if the transportation benefits are equivalent.
For property owners in those states, the absence of public funding means vertiport access depends entirely on private operators willing to build without state support.
No Other State Has Matched the Commitment
Wright says she has not seen any other state move toward comparable funding. “I would love to put some pressure on the states we’re working in and see what happens, but we haven’t seen anybody else try to respond the same way.”
Her read on state-level momentum in advanced air mobility is that progress is uneven and not contagious across state lines. “North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, California seem to be trying to move faster. New York was early and seems to have moved a little slower recently,” she says. “Maybe once 20 states are doing it, it sort of tilts the scale. Right now it seems like every state views themselves as totally different from the others.”
That unevenness has direct consequences for operators building networks in slower-moving states. Without state funding, vertiport development depends on private capital, federal grants, and the willingness of property owners to enter option agreements without ensured near-term revenue. Federal grants that operators applied for over a year ago remain pending (timelines longer than expected), illustrating the gap between a state actively funding this infrastructure and one that is not.
Equipment-Agnostic Public Infrastructure
One aspect of Florida’s policy that Wright highlights is that the funding is not tied to any specific aircraft type or manufacturer. “It’s not connected to any given equipment type, which I think is also very important,” she says. “The idea that they’re equipment-agnostic and public is great.”
This design choice avoids the fragmentation problem that manufacturer-controlled vertiport networks create. Public vertiports funded by the state can serve any aircraft that meets operational requirements, the same model that makes airports functional. If state-funded vertiports were tied to specific manufacturers, the public benefit would narrow, and the infrastructure would risk obsolescence as the technology evolves.
The equipment-agnostic model also creates a cleaner relationship between public and private infrastructure. State-funded public vertiports can anchor networks, while private operators build out coverage in areas where public funding does not reach. The two models address different parts of the geography and different use cases.
Building Without State Support
For operators building vertiport networks in states without public funding, the timeline is longer and the capital requirements higher. Wright’s strategy has been to work directly with property owners and communities, securing option agreements without waiting for state support.
“The interest from the people who own the land and operate the land that we’re talking to hasn’t changed at all,” Wright notes. What has taken longer than expected is the approval process within communities, not because of opposition, but because multi-stakeholder approvals take time.
The infrastructure being built now will determine what the network looks like if and when states move toward public funding. Communities securing private vertiport development now will have operational sites that inform future public infrastructure planning. Those waiting for state funding to arrive may find that first-mover networks are already established.
Wright’s view is that waiting for a policy cascade is not viable for operators who need to build networks now. “The states that move will move on their own timelines, for their own fiscal reasons, and the infrastructure built in the meantime will determine what the network looks like when they do,” she explains.
Florida’s 100% funding commitment may eventually pressure other states to respond, particularly if early vertiport deployments demonstrate measurable economic benefits. But for operators building networks in states without comparable public support, the timeline for action is now.
About Landings: Landings is building a comprehensive network of vertiport landing and charging infrastructure for electric aircraft, with a planned network of 2,000+ rural locations. Founded by architect and energy management expert Lisa Wright, the company takes an infrastructure-first, asset-light approach through revenue-sharing partnerships with commercial property owners. Learn more at landings.co/real-estate.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information provided by the expert source cited above. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any real estate or financial decisions.
