|
The
eVTOL aircraft have been touted as air taxis that could be the
future of urban air mobility. The low-altitude urban air
mobility aircraft has drawn a huge amount of interest around the
world as numerous eVTOL companies have gone public.
The FAA said in a statement it would pursue "a predictable
framework that will better accommodate the need to train and
certify the pilots who will operate these novel aircraft. "The
flexibility, the FAA added, "will eliminate the need for special
conditions and exemptions.
The FAA said it was modifying its regulatory approach because
regulations designed for traditional airplanes and helicopters
"did not anticipate the need to train pilots to operate
powered-lift, which take off in helicopter mode, transition into
airplane mode for flying, and then transition back to helicopter
mode for landing."
Pete Bunce, who heads the General Aviation Manufacturers
Association (GAMA), said in an email the FAA decision is "in our
minds detrimental to safety, and increases the workload on the
FAA dramatically. This is bad policy for so many reasons."
Many eVTOL startups are backed by major airlines or other large
companies. Toyota Motor Corp has a stake in Joby Aviation,
Archer Aviation is backed by United Airlines and Stellantis NV,
while Vertical Aerospace - a Bristol-UK-based manufacturer - is
backed by investors such as American Airlines Group Inc and
Honeywell International Inc.
Joby is targeting the launch of its aerial ridesharing service
in 2024.
The FAA said its process "for certifying the aircraft themselves
remains unchanged. All of the development work done by current
applicants remains valid and the changes in our regulatory
approach should not delay their projects."
The Air Current reported the shift earlier.
The FAA briefed Congress on the issue on April 29, and the
Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General said in
March it would review the basis for certification of eVTOLs.
(Reporting by David Shepardsonl; editing by Bernard Orr)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
