Leaders of GAMA, NATA and the NBAA have all welcomed the signing by US President Joe Biden of the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act into law.

“We bear witness to a significant day for the growth of AAM, which will facilitate additional transportation options, create jobs, stimulate economic activity and competitiveness, advance environmental sustainability, foster further advancement in aerospace technology and support emergency preparedness. We are hopeful that the act, which had overwhelming bipartisan Congressional support, will spur federal government departments and agencies to work collaboratively and aggressively towards the development of a national strategy for the integration of advanced air mobility vehicles into the national airspace system,” says GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce.

NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna adds: "We thank President Joe Biden and bill sponsors Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Senator Jerry Moran, Representative Sharice Davids and Representative Garret Graves for recognising the importance of government/industry partnership, as well as the need for an AAM national strategy that maintains and expands US aviation global leadership into the next generation of flight.”

The Act (S. 516) authorises the Secretary of Transportation to establish an interagency working group composed of leaders from key government agencies to plan for and coordinate efforts for the advancement of the AAM industry. The working group will be tasked to review and make recommendations for the federal role in the AAM sector, beyond the initial critical stage of aircraft certification and operations, with a focus on economic and workforce opportunities, potential physical and digital security risks and mitigations, and infrastructure development. In developing these recommendations, the working group will consider the views of various stakeholders including aviation operators and manufacturers; airports; labour groups; state, local and tribal officials; consumer groups; and first responders. The newly signed law stipulates that the working group be established no later than 120 days after its enactment into law.

The legislation calls AAM 'a key area of sustainable transportation and economic growth for the United States' and recognises that 'it is imperative that the federal government foster leadership and interagency collaboration in the adoption and deployment of this technology'.

NBAA worked to get the bill passed through Congress as part of a larger effort by the association and its stakeholders to promote AAM, including working with federal agencies to draft guidance on vertiports and security best practices. It is also supporting another bill, the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernisation (AAIM) Act, which directs the US Secretary of Transportation to create a pilot programme to offer planning and construction grants to support the development of needed infrastructure to support AAM operations, such as public-use vertiports. That bill was introduced last December by House Aviation Subcommittee Chair Rick Larsen and House Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Garret Graves.

In addition, NBAA last year launched the AAM Roundtable, aimed at providing a forum for high-level policy planning with sector leaders to help integrate AAM technologies into US airspace and transportation infrastructure.

NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen echoes his thanks and adds: “AAM will enhance on demand air mobility and help make the United States a leader in this exciting space.”