Advanced Air Mobility Modern Flying News

FAA, EASA Release New Certification Criteria for Air Taxis

The proposed standards represent a major milestone in the certification of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVOL) air taxis and other novel designs.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 09:25 AM ET

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New provisions from the FAA and EASA are intended to streamline the certification of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, such as Joby Aviation’s air taxi. [Courtesy: Joby Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have significantly advanced and aligned their regulatory frameworks for the certification of advanced air mobility (AAM) eVTOL aircraft.
The FAA issued an Advisory Circular (AC) to streamline future eVTOL certifications, creating a foundational standard that will reduce the need for individual public comment processes for compliant designs.
EASA updated its Special Condition for VTOL aircraft (SC-VTOL) rules to incorporate new requirements agreed upon with the FAA, covering aspects like safety, handling, and increasing the maximum takeoff mass for better international alignment.
These synchronized efforts aim to accelerate the growth of the Western AAM industry, addressing concerns about being outpaced by countries like China in eVTOL development and deployment.

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The FAA and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Monday made major strides toward establishing a certification pathway for advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis.

The FAA—which so far has published final airworthiness criteria for two air taxi designs, Archer Aviation’s Midnight and Joby Aviation’s flagship model—issued an advisory circular (AC) that would create the foundation for certification of powered lift vehicles, such as eVTOL aircraft. The AC, which lays out acceptable means for showing compliance with FAA Part 21 requirements for special class aircraft, is open for comment for 60 days.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.