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 published new, long-awaited guidance (Advisory Circular) for certifying powered-lift aircraft, establishing the first new category of civil aircraft since the 1940s.
This guidance provides a clear, performance-based framework for manufacturers of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft like eVTOLs to achieve type, production, and airworthiness certification.
The new AC simplifies the certification process, offering design flexibility, streamlining compliance, and introducing specific technical requirements for powered-lift systems, including propellers and flight profiles.
This initiative is part of a broader governmental and international effort to accelerate the integration of AAM into commercial operations, complementing existing operational rules and global harmonization agreements.

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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.