Capitol Hill Boost for US eVTOL

The US Congress continues to make deliberate, incremental progress in helping to create policies, procedures and programs to support US eVTOL operations. This week, the US Senate advanced the Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act (S.516), legislation submitted and championed by US Senators Jerry Moran and Kyrsten Sinema. This legislation is expected to enable collaboration between federal agencies and civil aviation industry leaders to advance the embryonic, but quickly evolving, US eVTOL industry.

Last November, the US House of Representatives passed its Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, HR 1339, which contains minor differences from the Senate version. The bills direct the Department of Transportation “to establish an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) interagency working group to plan and coordinate efforts related to the safety, infrastructure, physical security, cybersecurity, and federal investment necessary to bolster the AAM ecosystem, particularly passenger-carrying aircraft, in the United States.”

Additionally, the Senate version states, “the Government Accountability Office must study and report to Congress on the interests, roles, and responsibilities of federal, state, local, and tribal governments affected by AAM aircraft and operations.”

The two bills must be reconciled to produce one piece of legislation that is agreeable to the US House and Senate. Once a bill is agreed, the legislation can be sent to President Joe Biden for signature and enactment.

This belated action is welcome news for the US eVTOL ecosystem, which is ever-more quickly moving forward to establish infrastructure, field protype vehicles and their enabling training systems, and complete other activities that will move eVTOLs from concepts to operational entities.