U.S. AAM Advocates Call for More Regulatory Clarity

As eVTOL developers edge closer to operational approval, U.S. lawmakers and stakeholders alike stress the need for regulatory clarity and consistency and close collaboration between Congress, the FAA, the industry, and the states to ensure a safe transition for advanced air mobility (AAM).

That message was threaded through a recent hearing the House of Representatives aviation subcommittee held on the state of the AAM industry that signaled Congress intends to remain actively watchful of the transition. During the hearing on December 3, lawmakers also emphasized that the recent shutdown underscores the need for consistent funding to support this transition.

House aviation subcommittee chairman Troy Nehls (R-Texas) noted the benefits of AAM, including the ability to reach rural and urban locations not previously served by traditional aviation, and pointed to an industry report projecting the market would reach $115 billion annually by 2035 and generate 280,000 jobs. However, he cautioned, “There’s only one issue: No one has a type certificate aircraft yet. We just don’t have it done.”

Congress has recognized the importance of the emerging technology, Nehls said, noting that the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 included a subtitle dedicated to its advancement. One of the requirements was that the FAA publish enabling regulations, including the special federal aviation regulation (SFAR) regarding powered lift. In the year since that SFAR publication, he queried about the utility of the regulations and the challenges still facing manufacturers to cross the finish line for getting new aircraft into service.

Nehls also noted promising actions such as the establishment this year of the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP)—a public/private program spearheaded by the FAA to facilitate the safe integration of AAM into the National Airspace System (NAS) by gathering data on real-world operations—saying it will help continue to pave the way for the sector.

And while much discussion has centered on air traffic modernization, Nehls said any steps taken on the future of the ATC system should take into consideration all current and future uses of the NAS, including AAM.

Aviation subcommittee ranking member Andre Carson (D-Indiana) agreed on the societal and economic benefits of the sector. “This advanced technology has the potential to improve mobility options, particularly in dense urban environments like Indianapolis; boost local businesses and job opportunities; and reduce surface congestion,” he said. “But to make this vision a reality, we must ensure all stakeholders, including labor, state governments, and impacted local communities and legacy airspace users, remain at the table.”

The hearing heard some skepticism too about the value of government involvement in the development of AAM. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) pushed back against calls for more federal funding for programs. 

“Our taxpayers, I don’t think, want to pay for electric charging stations for these vehicles until they are operational,” Perry commented. “If this is really great, investors who can make money will pay into this. I don’t want to prioritise concepts over concrete.”

Safety First

Carson cautioned that the administration and the AAM industry “must clearly demonstrate that these innovations can safely operate without placing additional strain on the system and our entire aviation workforce.”

This is a critical reason why the FAA must remain robustly funded, he continued. “The recent 43-day government shutdown, the longest in our nation’s history, had a very significant consequence for U.S. aviation and is a very stark reminder of what is at stake if the FAA is made into a political pawn,” Carson said. “A government shutdown should never affect our air travel or [cause] the FAA’s very talented workforce to go without pay the way it did earlier last month.”

Carson added that this is why the bipartisan subcommittee leadership, alongside the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leadership, offered legislation that would ensure that the agency can continue its work and tap into funding during any future government shutdown.

“The safe deployment of AAM into U.S. airspace relies on a very resilient and modernized infrastructure, whether that’s physical ground infrastructure like vertiports for eVTOLS or the digital collision avoidance systems that air traffic controllers need to efficiently manage these new airspace users,” he said.

Noting that Congress provided $12.5 billion to revamp the nation’s air traffic control system, he also emphasized that the administration and industry must consider how new entrants will be safely integrated into an already very busy U.S. airspace.

In addition, Carson added, the AAM industry and the FAA must work with state governments to ensure communities have the resources and guidance they need to develop and deploy the necessary infrastructure.

Government Shutdown Disruption

Pointing to the shutdown as well as the major accidents that occurred this year, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Washington), the ranking member for the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, stated: “The current state of the broader system looks much different than when this subcommittee last met six months ago…We have to avoid history repeating itself.” This underscores the need for the Aviation Funding Solvency Act to continue the agency’s operations, with pay, during shutdowns, he agreed.

Noting that the committee first explored the safe integration of new entrants, including AAM, nearly a decade ago, Larsen said, “What was once considered an aviation technology of the distant future is happening now. While the potential applications of AAM from cargo transport to passenger air taxi service are promising, we always have to prioritize safety.”

Larsen believes the SFAR creates the necessary regulatory framework to enable AAM operations to safely scale, but added, “Though certification is the main goal for many stakeholders, it cannot be the only objective. The successful adoption of these technologies depends on community acceptance and the state’s ability to prepare for future operations.”

The FAA must have early, transparent, and meaningful engagement with states and local communities to ensure their priorities and concerns are addressed, he agreed.

Clearing Blocks

As for steps needed to become operational, Vermont-based Beta Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark said government, working with stakeholders, must “unblock this industry with clear and unmoving goalposts and allow the use of tools at its disposal to get through type certification.”

As the others had, Clark highlighted the benefits of the AAM sector, saying it will “fortify America’s industrial base,” and maintained, “We’ve got all of the things in place to do this.”

He outlined the “step-wise” approach that Beta is taking to entry into service. “We’ve gone into this industry slightly differently than the balance. We are focused on moving cargo medical logistics, things first, and then moving into urban air mobility.”

Cargo medical logistics, he maintained, is a great, low-risk, easy application to start with before going to urban air mobility. “The infrastructure exists today to do this, and by increasing these transportation options, I think we can ensure that every community can benefit from these technologies.”

Clark stressed the importance of safety at the core of the company: “Everybody at Beta is either a pilot or becoming a pilot.” Beta has some 1,000 people at its Vermont headquarters now, he mentioned, and has begun to obtain certifications on parts of its initial aircraft.

The company is planning multiple vehicles, beginning with a conventional takeoff and landing all-electric Alia CX300, which can carry six people or 200 cu ft of cargo and is being certified under Part 23. Beta has a backlog for 331, 131 of which are firm. Next up is its Alia eVTOL, which is being certified under Part 21.17(b) and has a backlog of 158 orders and 402 options. Other larger and military versions are in the offing as well.

“This approach recognizes the readiness and the regulatory framework today to incorporate this technology, in a thoughtful, safe, and methodical way,” he said, noting that Beta has flown more than 100,000 miles in its electric aircraft to more than 380 airports domestically and flown in 10 different countries, including opening the Paris Air Show.

Clark added that the company is among those that are “heavily energized and invested in the eIPP,” believing this will allow the company to launch domestic applications and operations as early as next summer. “We need to stay on track there to get this done. What happened in the drone industry, I don’t think we can let happen in the eVTOL industry. The technology is here. We need the FAA to show up with us to make sure that these things get deployed.”

Maintaining electric aviation is “fundamentally safer” than legacy aviation, he added. “We’re not asking for this process to be easy. We’re just asking for the goalposts to stay steady, for people to show up and be accountable, and for the FAA to meet their compulsory timelines that we believe should be in place for responses to things when we produce statistically relevant datasets.”

Autonomous Flight Rules Needed

Wisk Aero CFO Tyler Painter expressed confidence that investments in the industry are laying a foundation to lead on AAM, but cautioned that for this to happen, “We must also prioritize the development of a regulatory framework to enable autonomy.”

The Boeing subsidiary is working to certify its Gen 6 autonomous passenger-carrying air taxi. “Safety is at the core of everything that we do," Painter insisted. "Our learnings over the last 15 years and six generations of aircraft will culminate in the safe integration of our Gen 6 aircraft into the national airspace system.”

He further stressed that autonomy is not a new or radical advancement in aviation, but an evolution of what already exists today. “Increasing levels of autonomy have and will continue to improve safety. Most functions on commercial aircraft involve automation today.”

Painter explained that human oversight will remain critical and that, for Wisk aircraft, remote crew members will supervise and communicate with air traffic control as the company’s aircraft initially operate on predetermined routes. “This approach will ensure predictability and safe integration of our aircraft into today’s airspace.”

The company has partnered with Sugar Land, Texas, to identify and assess locations for vertiports and potential training and maintenance facilities at Sugar Land Regional Airport. This will serve as a gateway to a larger network in the greater Houston area.

Painter praised the willingness of FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to work with industry and chart regulatory pathways for new technologies, calling this support crucial. He echoed the need to modernize the NAS for existing and future operations and “futureproof it for autonomous operations.”

Robert Rose, CEO and co-founder of Reliable Robotics, predicted that “autonomy is going to be one of the most important technology advancements for the United States this century” and stated the industry must drive forward on such safety-enhancing technology.

Reliable Robotics has become a key partner in the autonomy field since its founding in 2017. Rose noted that it now has more than 150 employees in 23 states. “We started Reliable Robotics because of the importance of this technology to the future of the United States for both our long-term economic security but also our national security,” he said.

Rose called safety a “team sport” and praised the FAA’s collaboration. “It’s because of this unique public-private partnership that we have in aviation that we’re able to move aviation safety forward,” he said.

States Step Up

Tying all of this together will be the individual states, Greg Pecoraro, president and CEO of the National Association of State Aviation Officials, said. “Thousands of airports in and around communities are well-positioned to benefit from AAM operations. States will be essential for AAM operations through many functions that draw on local and regional expertise that federal authorities cannot replicate.”

But aligning policy, planning, and infrastructure is essential to providing clarity on how to operate and what to expect across the different states, Pecoraro added. “Policy harmonization between states and relevant standards entities is vital for cohesive governance and successful integration of AAM. While the FAA continues its preemptive role in AAM integration, federal-state coordination is critical to successful integration.”

Several states have begun preparing for AAM operations, including creating task forces and preparing guidance or operational test sites. But Pecoraro called on Congress and the FAA to establish a formal working group with state and federal officials to work collaboratively on integration.