TAMPA, Fla. — When you’re sitting in traffic around Tampa Bay, do you ever wish you could just fly over it?

That might be possible sooner than you think — thanks to an emerging technology called advanced air mobility (AAM).

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is now working with its aviation partners on what the future of travel could look like in the Sunshine State.

“It’s going to really change, not just how we travel, but it’s going to change aviation for us,” said FDOT Asst. Secretary Kim Holland.

Holland explained that AAM uses vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) that can carry passengers and cargo.

“They are similar to a helicopter. So you’ll see them taking off like a helicopter and also flying like a plane. And they’re really made for those shorter regional trips,” Holland said.

Running on batteries and electric motors, these aircraft take off and land vertically from different destinations called vertiports.

“We do anticipate seeing passenger travel. So we’ll see people possibly flying from Tampa to St. Pete. Or Miami to Fort Lauderdale,” Holland said.

This year, FDOT has been holding a series of meetings with industry partners, including Tampa International Airport, with the goal of eventually making Florida the first state to implement this new tech in the coming years.

“In Florida, we want to get it right. We want to make it safe. We want to be the first to do it in the nation,” Holland said.