On October 22, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the final version of its Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for powered lift aircraft operations. 

Michael Robbins, President and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Systems International (AUVSI) said:

“This performance-based rule is a critical step forward in enabling the eVTOL-segment of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry to launch and scale. We applaud the FAA for issuing the regulation in compliance with Congressionally mandated timelines and making changes from the draft rule to the final rule that ensure the U.S. will maintain global leadership in this critical segment of advanced aviation. This is a tremendous milestone, and there is much to celebrate with this rule. 

Looking ahead, it is imperative that FAA and the AAM industry work in lockstep to apply lessons learned from operations unlocked under the SFAR to inform long-term rulemaking that enables the integration of safe and routine AAM operations in the airspace. We can’t yet consider this ‘mission accomplished’ for U.S. leadership in advanced aviation – much work remains to be done. AUVSI stands ready to work closely with the FAA to ensure the fullest benefits of eVTOL and other AAM aircraft can be realized — including decreased emissions and noise pollution and increased access to multi-modal transport hubs and connectivity for rural communities.” 

“The regulation published today will ensure the U.S. continues to play a global leadership role in the development and adoption of clean flight,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, an AUVSI member company. “Delivering the guidance ahead of schedule is testament to the dedication, coordination and hard work of the rulemaking team,” he added. 

Billy Nolen, Chief Regulatory Affairs Officer at Archer Aviation, an AUVSI member company, said:

“We appreciate the FAA’s continued partnership and proactive approach to advancing the eVTOL industry with today’s release of the final powered-lift SFAR. This comes ahead of schedule and incorporates key feedback from across the industry. This is yet another foundational element toward our goal of the U.S. leading the way in commercializing UAM. We’ll continue to formulate our operational plans to align to this final rule.” 

Kristen Costello, Regulatory Affairs Lead at BETA Technologies, an AUVSI member company, stated: 

“We applaud the FAA for their timely delivery of a safe path forward for pilot certification and operations of powered lift aircraft. It’s an important and encouraging step for the industry. We look forward to reviewing it in depth and working alongside our customers to operationalize it.” 

The FAA first issued its draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in June 2023. AUVSI submitted comments urging the FAA to make changes to the draft rule to bring it in line with international approaches and to meet the specific safety-based needs of eVTOL pilots and operators.