NAAMCE Endorses Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act on FAA Certification of Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft
Why It MattersThe bill targets the unclear, inconsistent certification pathway that NAAMCE calls the biggest obstacle for advanced air mobility makers, and has the backing of leading type-certification contenders Joby and BETA.
NAAMCE, the build-test-fly center at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport in Ohio, has endorsed the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act, bipartisan legislation to modernize and streamline how the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifies advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, including electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and other novel designs. The endorsement follows last month's markup of the bill by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
The legislation directs the FAA to publish a stable, transparent plan for certifying new aircraft types, set anticipated timelines for key certification milestones and exemption decisions, update its delegation guidance for novel technologies, and make greater use of industry consensus and performance-based standards. NAAMCE says these steps address the biggest obstacle facing the AAM industry: a certification pathway that is not yet clear, consistent or predictable enough to plan against.
NAAMCE board chairman Terrence Slaybaugh said companies in Springfield are building, testing and flying aircraft in the National Airspace System in Ohio, and that they need a certification process that keeps pace with the technology. He thanked the Senate Commerce Committee, including Sen. Bernie Moreno, Sen. Peter Welch and Sen. Ted Budd, and, on the House side, Chairman Troy Nehls, Reps. Jimmy Panetta and Jay Obernolte, and the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
NAAMCE describes itself as the nation's only build-test-fly facility purpose-built for AAM and uncrewed aircraft systems. It offers manufacturers hangar, lab and office space, vertiport and charging infrastructure, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight airspace up to 18,000 feet on a single campus developed with the City of Springfield, the Air Force Research Laboratory, JobsOhio, Dayton Development Coalition and the Ohio Department of Transportation. Joby Aviation and BETA Technologies, both NAAMCE tenants leading the push toward type certification, have also endorsed the bill.
NAAMCE Executive Director Ted Angel said the question is whether the federal regulatory framework will let American companies bring these aircraft to market on a competitive timeline, noting that international competitors are moving quickly, and that the bill gives the FAA the direction and tools to keep the United States in the lead while maintaining safety standards. NAAMCE urged the House and Senate to pass the legislation quickly and send it to the President.
