Aerolane, a fresh face in aviation, is setting up shop at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport in the northern reaches of Fort Worth. They’re all about making air cargo more efficient with their cool new towed cargo glider technology, which promises to cut costs in air transportation.
Right now, Aerolane is working on getting the necessary FAA certification to tweak aircraft designs. They’re moving into a 10,000-square-foot space at Alliance where they’ll also be putting together a custom aircraft designed specifically for their glider technology.
Todd Graetz, CEO and co-founder of Aerolane, describes their technology as a “sky train,” where existing aircraft are modified to tow gliders, akin to a train with a locomotive and cars or a truck hauling trailers. They’ll kick things off with current planes and, once everything’s running smoothly, transition to custom-built cargo gliders tailored to different aircraft types.
Chris Ash, who leads aviation business development at Hillwood and Perot Field, is confident in Aerolane’s promising future. He believes their innovative approach could significantly impact transportation and mobility, positioning them as a transformative force in the industry.
Handling close to 2.5 billion pounds of cargo every year, Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport is a major hub in the logistics industry. It’s a hub for innovation, hosting companies like Wing to test delivery drones in its Mobility Innovation Zone. Plus, AllianceTexas, Hillwood’s massive 27,000-acre development that includes Perot Field, made a whopping $10.21 billion impact last year.
Graetz is excited about the choice of Alliance for their headquarters, thanks to the plentiful space for expansion. They’ve already secured their first major client, a well-known cargo airline, which plans to start using their technology by year’s end. Graetz foresees Aerolane increasing its team to roughly 50 staff members at Alliance as they scale up their activities.
Chris Ash also pointed out that AllianceTexas is home to over 570 companies, mostly logistics and distribution centers. Hillwood aims to foster a thriving ecosystem that boosts air mobility and logistics. He sees Aerolane’s innovations as potentially transformative for companies transporting goods through the skies.