FAA Administrator: AAM Plan on the Horizon

'If you’re looking for the code to the front door of the next generation of aviation, here it is,' FAA chief Billy Nolen said.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 06:06 PM ET

Verified

Acting FAA head Billy Nolen, who will step down this summer, shared details on the agency’s future plans for drones and AAM. [Credit: CNW Group/WESTJET]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is actively pursuing the integration of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), with a new Implementation Plan set to guide initial air taxi operations, aiming for services by the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and certifying eVTOLs under existing regulations.
Despite progress in AAM, the agency faces delays in finalizing rules for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights, drawing criticism from industry stakeholders while granting provisional waivers for complex operations.
The future of these initiatives is subject to uncertainty due to the upcoming departure of acting Administrator Billy Nolen, a looming September FAA funding reauthorization deadline, and the need for a successor who shares similar priorities for drones and AAM.

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The FAA’s release of an updated blueprint for urban air mobility (UAM) operations last week was a positive development for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and air taxi technology. But on Wednesday, acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen provided a larger update on the agency’s vision.

At the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Xponential 2023 trade show in Denver, Nolen delivered a keynote speech in which he detailed the FAA’s plans for expanded drone and advanced air mobility (AAM) operations.