About CAAMCI

The California Advanced Air Mobility Corridors Initiative (CAAMCI) is positioned to establish California’s first FAA-compliant, multi-airport flight corridor network, connecting the rural public airports of Watsonville, Marina, Salinas, and Hollister. This integrated corridor will support the testing, certification, and commercialization of clean-energy aircraft for passenger, cargo, defense, and next-generation drone operations. By combining advanced infrastructure with workforce training and innovation pipelines, CAAMCI will position the Central Coast as a statewide and national leader in advanced air mobility, defense, and aerospace technologies — unlocking inclusive economic growth and new opportunities for rural communities.

The Monterey Bay region is already a leader in advanced air mobility and drone technology, boasting the nation’s highest concentration of companies in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector. Startups such as Joby Aviation, Wisk, Archer, Parallel Flight, Elroy Air, and Guardian Agriculture are pioneering advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, establishing the Central Coast as a national hub for aerospace innovation. While these leading-edge companies currently utilize a string of public general aviation airports, those rural airports lack the connected infrastructure needed to scale to take the industry sector to the next level of competitiveness. By connecting rural airports to create a coordinated flight network, CAAMCI closes this crucial infrastructure gap.

No other region in California combines eVTOL vehicle development, hydrogen-fueled passenger aircraft, and hybrid “heavy payload” drones with such potential to transform industries — from delivering medical supplies to rural areas, to monitoring wildfire conditions in real time, to improving crop production, to inspecting bridges and power lines without risking human life. The economic, social, and environmental possibilities are extensive. By connecting Watsonville, Marina, Salinas, and Hollister airports to create an FAA-compliant flight corridor network, CAAMCI will establish a scalable ecosystem that accelerates competitiveness, creates quality jobs, and attracts federal, private, and philanthropic investment through regional coordination.