Alabama legislators want the state to jump in on a growing startup industry: novel aircraft designed to quickly take off and land for short-distance travel.

This sort of technology could allow passengers to soar over traffic, to commute distances too short for travel between airports. Electric and hybrid air taxis wouldn’t require a runway, taking off and landing vertically to allow for fast travel between rural, suburban and urban communities.

“I think we need to be ahead of the game instead of trying to play catch up later,” said Alabama State Sen. Lance Bell (R-Pell City), who sponsored legislation highlighting the industry’s growth. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the legislation on July 19 to create a commission to study the industry…

Alabama’s move – which starts with forming a new Joint Study Commission on Advanced Air Mobility sometime in the next two months, Bell said – echoes that national priority to promote advanced air mobility as an opportunity for economic growth.