NBAA Marks First Anniversary of AAM Roundtable

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) recently marked the one-year anniversary of its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Roundtable. According to the group, the sector saw significant progress on several important milestones during the 12-month period.

NBAA launched the AAM Roundtable last year to provide a forum for high-level policy discussions with sector leaders to chart a course for the integration of AAM technologies into U.S. airspace and transportation infrastructure. The association and the roundtable have worked with the U.S. Congress and federal agencies to help address infrastructure and operational challenges associated with AAM.

In December, House Aviation Subcommittee chairman Rick Larsen and Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves introduced the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act, or AAIM Act, which would help plan for and develop AAM infrastructure, including vertiports. NBAA says its advocacy and close coordination with roundtable members proved critical to the introduction of the AAIM Act, which has helped educate members of Congress about the potential benefits of AAM.

NBAA also continues to work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in what the association called several important areas that affect AAM. For example, NBAA is coordinating with and providing input to the FAA on draft vertiport guidance and convening regular meetings with leadership from the FAA Office of Airports and AAM Roundtable members.

The group also works with congressional committee staff to ensure representation of AAM at Capitol Hill hearings. Roundtable members also are meeting with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials to educate regulators on nascent AAM operations and security best practices for initial operations.

NBAA also plans to identify top industry priorities for the agency to consider as part of FAA Reauthorization on October 1, 2023, and is holding regular roundtable meetings to address them.