What is Advanced Air Mobility?
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft is an umbrella term for aircraft that are typically highly automated, electrically powered, and have vertical take-off and landing capability. Many of these aircraft fall into the powered-lift category and are often referred to as air taxis.
AAM has the potential to achieve the vision of transportation that is more efficient, more sustainable, and more equitable, while creating thousands of great jobs.
AAM aircraft could also be used to transport cargo and passengers, help with firefighting, and provide search and rescue operations.
What are aircraft in the powered-lift category?
They have characteristics of both airplanes and helicopters. They’re capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and low speed flight, similar to a helicopter, and fly using a wing during cruise flight, similar to an airplane.
What is the FAA’s role?
This new era of aviation will succeed only if it is safely integrated into our National Airspace System (NAS), just like aircraft currently flying in the United States are today. That’s the FAA’s job: Making sure this new generation of aircraft maintain the high level of safety that defines modern aviation. The FAA has completed updating its regulations to allow for aircraft in the powered-lift category to operate safely in the NAS.
Pilot and Instructor Certification
The FAA issued its final rule for powered-lift operations in October 2024. This rule outlined pilot and instructor certification requirements as well as operational rules. The operational rules are performance-based so that the appropriate regulation applies to the aircraft in the powered-lift category depending on its flight characteristics. See the FAQs page for more info.
Aircraft Certification
The FAA has an existing regulatory framework that allows manufacturers to achieve the appropriate safety standards in innovative ways. When tailoring existing rules to a new concept, the FAA determines the certification requirements for powered-lift by evaluating its design, production, airworthiness, and operation. Some certifications could require the FAA to establish additional airworthiness criteria, depending on the type of project. We use the same data-driven approach that has created the safest aviation system in the world when evaluating these complex systems.
Operator Certification & Framework
Many of these new aircraft take off in helicopter mode, transition into airplane mode for flying, and then transition back to helicopter mode for landing.
We’re able to certificate operators who want to use powered-lift for commercial flights. In July 2023, the FAA issued a final rule that updates the air carrier definition to add “powered-lift” operations to the regulations covering other commercial operations, such as airlines, charters and air tours.
Human-in-the-Loop Exercises
We’re working with partners in government and industry to safely integrate AAM into the NAS. One key initiative, Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) simulations, helps us explore how eVTOL aircraft can best share airspace and airport facilities with traditional aircraft.
Additionally, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford recently announced the selection of 8 partners to launch the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) – a bold step toward transforming how America moves. Together with our eIPP partners, the FAA is ensuring that innovation and safety go hand in hand.
Infrastructure Development
We expect that initial AAM vehicles will use existing infrastructure such as helipads, routes and air traffic control services where possible. In December 2024, the FAA issued vertiport design standards to begin safely building infrastructure in this new era.
Operations
Initial operations will be much like helicopter service today. As operations increase, we could have corridors for these vehicles as well as rules for communicating with air traffic control when necessary. The FAA issued this blueprint for AAM operations in and around urban areas in May 2023.
Additional Resources