FAA Releases Powered-Lift Certification Guidance

Advisory circular provides a blueprint for authorizing the first new class of civil aircraft in decades.

Jack Daleo

Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

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Jack Daleo

Developers of powered-lift aircraft, such as Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, receive new guidance for certifying their designs. [Courtesy: Joby Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has released long-awaited guidance, an Advisory Circular (AC), for certifying powered-lift aircraft—the first new civil aircraft category since the 1940s.
This AC establishes a clear, performance-based framework for manufacturers to achieve type, production, and airworthiness certification for designs like eVTOLs, clarifying previous regulatory ambiguities.
The guidance is considered a major industry achievement, streamlining the certification process, cutting red tape, and accelerating the path to commercial operations for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft.

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The FAA this month quietly published long-awaited guidance for the certification of powered-lift aircraft—the first new category of civil aircraft since helicopters were introduced in the 1940s.

Powered-lift models have characteristics of both airplanes and rotorcraft, which places the regulator in a bind when it comes to defining their airworthiness. But a new advisory circular (AC), dated July 18, gives powered-lift developers the blueprint to earn type, production, and airworthiness certification for their designs. So far, none have been greenlit for commercial use.