New aviation technology center to be led by the Texas A&M University System

April 23, 2025 / Sophie Clearwater /

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KXAN) — The Texas A&M University System (TAMUS) will serve as the operating agency to initiate and manage the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies (CAAT).

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) made the announcement today.

“Texas is the perfect place for our new Center for Advanced Technologies. Under Senator Cruz’s leadership, the state has already established itself as a leader in commercial drone safety testing,” Duffy said.

The purpose of the FAA in instituting the CAAT is to focus on the testing and integration of new and emerging aviation technologies, according to a press release. The CAAT will have an airspace laboratory, flight demonstration zones and testing corridors, per the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

“When I authored the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, I wrote the language creating the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies with the express intention of bringing that Center to the Dallas-Fort Worth area because of the groundbreaking innovation occurring there,” Senator Cruz said. “I’m confident this new research and testing center will help the private sector create thousands of high-paying jobs and grow the Texas economy through billions in new investments.”

CAAT plays the crucial role of guaranteeing these aviation technologies are integrated safely into the National Airspace System (NAS).

“From drones delivering your packages to powered lift technologies like air taxis, we are at the cusp of an aviation revolution,” Duffy said. “The CAAT will ensure we make that dream a reality and unleash American innovation safely.”

According to the release, TAMUS was selected over 28 other proposals from entities across multiple states because of its: