The House has passed the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act. Advances in aerospace technology, new advanced air mobility (AAM) designs—including flying cars, passenger air vehicles or taxis, and electric aircraft—have the potential to reduce traffic congestion on U.S. roads, improve mobility options for commuters and cargo, and lessen the current burden on surface infrastructure. As these new aircraft emerge in an already complex national airspace, the federal government must ensure they are safe, for those on board and those on the ground.
The Act instructs the U.S. Department of Transportation to create an AAM interagency working group to evaluate, plan, and coordinate efforts regarding the safety, infrastructure, and security of the developing AAM ecosystem in the United States. This legislation is the result of a bipartisan, bicameral agreement and is based on Vice Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Rep. Sharice Davids’ Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, which passed the House in November 2021.
Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) said the new Act will encourage greater coordination amongst the federal government and aviation stakeholders to ensure the safety of the flying public as new technologies are integrated into U.S. airspace.
“If we want to keep leading the world in aviation, we can’t wait for technologies to come to us. Today, Members from both sides of the aisle showed they are ready to take advantage of the next wave of transportation innovation by passing the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act,” Vice Chair Davids (D-KS) said. “And, I’ll note, Kansas is home to a skilled aviation workforce with a proud history. I can’t wait to harness the huge economic potential of advanced air mobility for our state.”
Read more at the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure