Fort Worth has long played a pivotal role in shaping the future of flight. Now, Texas A&M-Fort Worth is poised to continue that legacy.
As part of a sweeping new federal initiative, the Texas A&M University System has announced the creation of the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies — CAAT — a hub for cutting-edge research into aviation innovations such as unmanned aircraft, air taxis, and hypersonic vehicles.
While the initiative will be led by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, the laboratory component will be housed in Fort Worth.
The CAAT was authorized through a provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, authored by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.
“I wrote the language creating the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies with the express intention of bringing it to the Dallas-Fort Worth area because of the groundbreaking innovation occurring there,” said Cruz in a statement. “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.”
The Autonomy Research Institute at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi — a long-standing FAA-designated UAS test site — will spearhead CAAT’s research operations. In Fort Worth, the CAAT lab will work to safely integrate unmanned and advanced aircraft systems into the national airspace.
“This initiative represents a significant opportunity to harness the expertise of our member institutions and drive innovation in the aviation industry,” said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp.
Sharp, the outgoing chancellor, and incoming Chancellor Glenn Hegar praised the bipartisan work behind the FAA legislation and emphasized the strategic importance of Fort Worth in the project.
“Nearly 30 entities from across the nation fought hard to secure this opportunity, but the Texas A&M System was perfectly positioned to make this visionary endeavor a reality,” Hegar said. “This is a tremendous victory for the Texas A&M System and for the Lone Star State.”
Texas A&M System Board of Regents Chairman Bob Albritton of Fort Worth also lauded the initiative and its forward-looking approach to aviation safety and development.
“The airspaces of the United States soon will look very different,” Albritton said. “I am confident that A&M System experts will make the skies as safe as possible when the newest aviation technologies take flight.”
The center will convene all 19 member institutions of the Texas A&M System and additional partners including the University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University, and various public and private stakeholders.
This is more than a research center, said Mike Sanders, executive director of the Autonomy Research Institute. It’s about safely navigating the future of shared skies — where unmanned aircraft fly alongside traditional air traffic.
“As highly innovative, yet undeniably disruptive, unmanned aircraft technologies reshape our skies, we acknowledge that sharing space with manned airspace is more than a technical challenge — it’s a matter of doing it with transparency and safety,” Sanders said.
