FAA Releases Joint Statement with United Kingdom CAA on eVTOL Aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority recognize the potential of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and other Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft to significantly benefit the public. To support future eVTOL aircraft development and operation, the US and UK civil aviation authorities are engaged in a range of bilateral and multilateral discussions focused on facilitating certification and validating new eVTOL aircraft, production, continued airworthiness, operations, and personnel licensing.

As these aircraft enter into the aviation ecosystem, we must continue to maintain the high safety standards that the public expects. To streamline and expedite integration, this technology should use existing regulatory frameworks on which that strong safety record is founded.

Both regulators recognize AAM is a collection of new and emerging technologies in the existing aviation system. Both authorities have a strong history of collaborating in aircraft certification, airspace integration, operations, and infrastructure, which lead to a safer, more sustainable sector.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.