FAA Establishes Groundbreaking Rules for Powered-Lift Aircraft Operations
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled its revolutionary final rule on October 22, 2024, setting the operational and pilot training requirements for powered-lift aircraft. This represents the first entirely new category of civil aircraft since the introduction of helicopters in the 1940s.
The comprehensive 800-page rule lays the regulatory groundwork for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, often referred to as air taxis. The regulation includes a 10-year Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) that permits pilots to train in powered-lift with single flight controls, a significant departure from traditional dual-control requirements.
FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker officially signed the rule during the NBAA-BACE conference in Las Vegas, with a Joby Aviation eVTOL aircraft showcased in the background. “This rule establishes the operational system for advanced air mobility,” Whitaker stated.
The regulation employs performance-based approaches to certain operating rules and grants these aircraft the ability to operate in both urban and rural areas for passenger transport, cargo delivery, and emergency services.
- Companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, currently undergoing certification processes, have lauded the rule for providing regulatory clarity for their air taxi development programs.
Source: FAA Newsroom