Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the U.S.’s first air taxi routes, which have been set back by regulatory red tape. But according to a U.S. Department of Transportation audit of the FAA, they may need to wait even longer than expected.
The audit, published last week, details years of internal strife, mismanagement, and fragmented communication it claims have unnecessarily delayed the certification and regulation of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, such as air taxis. The DOT issued four recommendations to the FAA—with which it concurred—but said the agency “will likely continue to face challenges.”
