Movement has always defined Utah’s economy – going back to the Golden Spike that created the transcontinental railroad here.
“It sounds cliché, but we really are the crossroads of the West,” 47G CEO Aaron Starks told us.
“About 40 percent of the nation’s freight flows through Utah,” in part because I-15 intersects I-70 and I-80 in the state.
Ben Hart, executive director of the Utah Inland Port Authority, discussed his agency’s role catalyzing a modern freight and logistics network:
“We can play a role in between a lot of other modes of transportation.”
Proof points include an $18 million Delta cargo hub at Salt Lake City International Airport, statewide expansion of BNSF Railway intermodal access, and using tax financing to attract large businesses like a new distribution center for education supplier Lakeshore Learning.
“Inland states are unique. We can really bridge the gap between what we want economically and what we want transportation and freight movement wise,” Hart said. “No one else is doing it quite like this.”
And now, movement is going vertical.
Project Alta: Utah’s Advanced Air Mobility Strategy
Housed within 47G, Project Alta is building a statewide system for electric aviation.
We spoke with executive director Chris Metts, a former FAA official, to look into the future:
⛑️ Happening Now: Small cargo, emergency response, firefighting, and avalanche mitigation using electric aircraft and drones.
🏃 By 2034: The 2034 Olympic Games are a major milestone that will be a central showcase for passenger air-taxi routes linking Salt Lake, Provo, and rural towns.
⛴️ The End-Goal: Eventually a full vertiport and charging hub network will be integrated into public transit and community planning – similar to Seattle’s ferry system.
A key player and future beneficiary of such a commuter network is Paul Damron of the Utah Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division – he lives in a rural town 2+ hours outside Salt Lake City.
“We'll see an opportunity for the people that live in smaller communities that are everywhere in the state to get where we need to go.”
Damron is watching development in other states, including:
Ohio landing blade manufacturing from Joby
Georgia securing Archer’s air taxi factory
Alaska and North Dakota using open space for testing
But underscoring Utah’s leadership in this fast-growing space:
Utah was one of the founding eight states to form a national advanced air mobility working group – it has now expanded to 35 states looking to get in on the action.
