The National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) announced its endorsement of the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act (H.R. 7553 / S. 3885), 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, where the measure was reported out of the committee favorably.
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. Together, these steps address the single biggest obstacle facing the AAM industry today: a certification pathway that is not yet clear, consistent or predictable enough for the industry to plan against.
“At NAAMCE, we see the future of flight taking shape every day. The companies working out of Springfield are not talking about advanced air mobility in the abstract. They are building aircraft, testing them and flying them in the National Airspace System right here in Ohio, the birthplace of aviation,” said Terrence Slaybaugh, chairman of the board of NAAMCE. “What they need from Washington is a certification process that keeps pace with the technology. The Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act delivers exactly that, and we applaud the Senate Commerce Committee, including leadership from Sen. Bernie Moreno, Sen. Peter Welch and Sen. Ted Budd. On the House side, we thank Chairman Troy Nehls, Reps. Jimmy Panetta and Jay Obernolte, and the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for advancing it.”
Located at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, NAAMCE is the nation’s only build-test-fly facility purpose-built for AAM and uncrewed aircraft systems. The center offers manufacturers access to hangar, lab and office space, vertiport and charging infrastructure, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight airspace up to 18,000 feet, all within a single campus developed in partnership with the City of Springfield, the Air Force Research Laboratory, JobsOhio, Dayton Development Coalition and the Ohio Department of Transportation. Several of the companies leading the push toward type certification, including Joby Aviation and BETA Technologies, are NAAMCE tenants and have themselves endorsed the bill.
“Springfield sits at the cutting edge of this industry, and the region has made real investments to stay there,” NAAMCE Executive Director Ted Angel added. “The question now is whether the federal regulatory framework will let American companies bring these aircraft to market on a competitive timeline. Our international competitors are moving quickly. This bill gives the FAA the direction and the tools it needs to keep the United States in the lead while maintaining the safety standards that make American aviation the gold standard worldwide.”
NAAMCE urges the House and Senate to move quickly to pass the legislation and send it to the President’s desk.
