From August 2nd – 3rd, the FAA hosted its AAM Summit in Baltimore, bringing together the broad spectrum of AAM stakeholders to collaborate and address challenges and opportunities in bringing eVTOLs and related innovations to market in the near future. Challenges addressed at the Summit included: regulatory uncertainty, standards harmonization, gaining public trust in new
Advanced Air Mobility
Latest from Advanced Air Mobility
eVTOL infrastructure – Opportunities and challenges in advanced air mobility
By Adiscutido
In brief
Development and integration of critical infrastructure for electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL“) aircraft remains critical for the wide-scale adoption and the future of Advanced Air Mobility (“AAM“). With the path towards certification rapidly gaining momentum, the first commercial eVTOL operations are likely to begin as early as 2025. While initial operations will…
FAA Proposes Regulations to Incorporate “Powered-Lift” Aircraft Category for eVTOL Operations
The FAA recently issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“NPRM”) marking the first of multiple anticipated rulemakings to align regulations with the FAA’s decision earlier this year to change course on the certification of electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft. Notably, the NPRM incorporates the concept of “powered-lift” aircraft into the regulatory framework. The…
FAA Releases Interim Guidance for Vertiport Design
The FAA recently announced the release of its new vertiport design guidelines, Engineering Brief No. 105 for Vertiport Design (“Guidance”). The Guidance marks a significant milestone in the FAA’s efforts to support the development of infrastructure required for Advanced Air Mobility. The Guidance provides interim safety standards for eVTOL take-off and landing facilities, which are…
FAA Issues Enforcement Policy for Remote ID Production Requirements
In a recently issued enforcement policy, the FAA announced a discretionary approach to its enforcement of Remote ID Rule requirements applicable to the production of unmanned aircraft, to account for the delay in the FAA’s recent acceptance of a means of compliance (“MOC”) required by the Remote ID Rule. This discretionary policy will apply…
New York UAS Test Site Selected by FAA for UTM Project
The FAA has selected the New York UAS Test Site at the Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York for a project supporting safe drone integration and the development of a new traffic management system for unmanned aircraft systems. The project is designed to test and evaluate new applications for use in future UAS traffic…
D.C. Circuit Upholds Remote ID Rule for UAS
Last week in a unanimous opinion, the D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the FAA’s 2021 Remote ID Rule, finding the Petitioner’s various constitutional and procedural claims without merit. Remote ID requirements, akin to requiring a “digital license plate,” are widely supported by industry as an essential stepping stone to the expanded use of drones in…
Congress Takes Steps to Support Development of Advanced Air Mobility
With the FAA’s final Engineering Brief for Vertiport Design anticipated to be released within the next few months, this summer has seen an uptick in congressional activity to support the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure necessary for eVTOL and UAS operations. Following the House’s passage of the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership…
Congress Takes Steps to Support Development of Advanced Air Mobility
With the FAA’s final Engineering Brief for Vertiport Design anticipated to be released within the next few months, this summer has seen an uptick in congressional activity to support the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) infrastructure necessary for eVTOL and UAS operations. Following the House’s passage of the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership…
FAA to Conduct Type Certification of eVTOL Aircraft as a “Special Class”
According to a FAA statement reported by multiple media outlets last week, the FAA has decided to modify its regulatory approach and certify electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft as a “special class” aircraft using the existing “powered-lift” aircraft category. As discussed previously, the FAA has been deciding between two approaches to the…