Horizons Continue to Expand for Advanced Air Mobility

Power lift aircraft now have not one but two pathways to certification.

Jack Daleo

Friday, October 10, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Beta Technologies says an AC change will open broader applications for its Alia-250. [Courtesy: Beta Technologies]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's new MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) rule significantly updates Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) regulations, shifting to performance-based criteria, expanding pilot privileges, and enabling certification for two-seat VTOLs and aircraft with alternative propulsion.
Concurrently, a new FAA advisory circular provides a crucial certification blueprint for larger, commercial eVTOL "powered-lift" aircraft, streamlining their regulatory path for type, production, and airworthiness.
These combined regulatory advancements offer critical clarity and a more predictable path for the certification and integration of diverse Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft, fostering innovation from personal eVTOLs to commercial air taxis.

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The introduction of electric, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), and other advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft into U.S. national airspace has raised plenty of questions, not least of which is how they will be certified and operated. The FAA is finally beginning to answer them.

The publication of a final Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) was a highlight of this year’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Sport pilots will likely be familiar with the rule’s major changes—namely, the replacement of rigid weight and seating limits with performance-based criteria, and expanded privileges, such as flying at night.