Port San Antonio is building a new vertiport that it said will serve as a testing and demonstration site for autonomous, electric vertical aircraft and the systems needed to fly them safely in controlled airspace.

Port San Antonio President and CEO Jim Perschbach said the project is intended to help develop automated flight rules and routes that could eventually support pilotless aircraft moving people and cargo across the region.

"We're going to develop automated flight rules here in San Antonio," Perschbach said.