“A lot of people think advanced air mobility, they don’t want to have anything to do with it regarding traditional aviation, but we don’t want to put our head in the sand and say advanced air mobility isn’t coming here,” Cree states. “We want to embrace it and make sure that the skies are safe for everyone, for both the conventional aircraft and advanced air mobility, the drones, the unmanned, the autonomous aircraft, and the electric aircraft.” The airport’s most visible advanced air mobility initiative involves the Drone 814 program, which delivers life-saving medical supplies like AEDs, EPIPENS, and Marcan to emergencies. “The project received a $1.9 million US Department of Transportation Smart Grant for phase one, demonstrating the viability of drone-based medical logistics in a region where ground transportation can be time-consuming and challenging,” Cree says. Major healthcare systems nationwide have begun adopting similar technologies, with Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and Intermountain Health partnering with drone delivery companies to achieve delivery times as short as 10 minutes. Phase two of Drone 814 project will expand operations across Pennsylvania to multiple locations, moving beyond Cambria County’s initial service area. The program also pursues a crucial financial sustainability component by working with government agencies and Medicare on insurance coverage for drone deliveries. 197 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 11 JOHN MURTHA JOHNSTOWN-CAMBRIA COUNTY AIRPORT
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