Integrating Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Represents Monumental Challenge

But NASA says it is up to the task in preparing for the next generation of flight.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, July 24, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Passengers take a simulated electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi ride on NASA’s Vertical Motion Simulator at Ames Research Center in California. [Courtesy: NASA/Dominic Hart]

Key Takeaways:

The rapid emergence of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), including autonomous drones and eVTOL air taxis, introduces significant complexity and safety challenges for the national airspace.
NASA is developing the In-time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) to proactively identify and mitigate flight hazards by continuously monitoring diverse data sources and predicting risks before they occur.
Through its Air Traffic Management Exploration (ATM-X) project, NASA is working to create a next-generation air traffic management system capable of seamlessly integrating all types of emerging aircraft into the airspace.
NASA collaborates extensively with industry, the FAA, and other partners to develop the necessary standards, technologies, and insights for the safe, operational, and scalable deployment of AAM.

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As the nation reels from one tragedy, researchers at NASA are working to prevent another as they study a new generation of aircraft—one that could introduce even more complexity in the national airspace system (NAS).

Advanced air mobility (AAM) is no longer a Jetsonian dream. Autonomous drones are inspecting infrastructure, flying missions for police and first responders, and delivering food, drinks, and prescriptions in major cities like Dallas-Fort Worth. Aerial firefighters are using remotely piloted aircraft to battle blazes.