Duffy At Paris Air Show Highlights Effort To Align Standards

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced at the 55th Paris Air Show that the FAA is initiated a collaboration with four other regulatory agencies on a roadmap to safely roll out advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft and stimulate innovation in the rapidly growing segment.

Sec. Duffy said, “eVTOLs and all kinds of futuristic advanced air mobility vehicles will redefine how we transport goods and people. As we’ve done for decades, the United States is working with our great international partners to bring about this revolution in flying safely. If we don’t, our adversaries will fill the void. We can’t afford to make that mistake.”

Chris Rocheleau, Acting Administrator of the FAA said, “It’s an incredibly exciting time to be in aviation as we work to integrate new technologies safely into the NAS. Enabling the integration of new entrants is a priority and we’re committed to doing whatever we can to foster innovation while also staying true to our safety mission.”

What the partnership is doing: The FAA, along with the aviation authorities from the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have developed a “Roadmap for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Type Certification” that will align the airworthiness and certification standards by sharing data, safety information, and research. The aviation authorities all signed a Declaration of Intent committing to the principles of the roadmap.

Why it’s important:  The principles described in the Roadmap are intended to foster collaboration, promote technological innovation, and streamline the validation and certification process for new aircraft types in all five countries. All are currently members of the National Aviation Authorities Network and collaboration on current AAM type certification projects will enhance this work.

Why it’s needed:  Traditional or legacy aircraft are type certified in the country where it is designed using internationally accepted standards. Other countries then validate the aircraft against those standards before the aircraft can be operated there.

However the issue this partnership seeks to address is that variations in AAM certification standards are emerging around the world. The Roadmap acknowledges the differences and provides a framework for bringing standards into closer harmony to streamline the validation and safe entry of AAM aircraft into multiple markets. It is focused on safety and seeks to drive innovation by supporting the industry’s desire to build aircraft that can span the certification criteria of multiple countries.

FMI:  www.transportation.gov/