Advanced Air Mobility in 2024: Where the Industry is Heading

Infrastructure

Government agencies, city officials and urban planners are considering the necessary infrastructure to support AAM vehicles. When it comes to electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs), communities will need vertiports – landing/docking stations, similar to heliports for helicopters. Officials are considering where vertiports could be located and regulations to ensure safety. These new aircraft designs may be 10 times quieter than a traditional helicopter and therefore more capable of operating in urban environments.

“We've spent the last hundred years trying to take aviation out of cities, largely, and now we're bringing them back into the city environment,” said Ryan Coates, Executive Director of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems of AAM Transport Canada, at the AAM Summit.

Regulations, Safety and Standards

Safety is paramount in the development of Advanced Air Mobility. Establishing safety standards and regulations to ensure the safe integration of new transportation modes is vital for governments, operators, manufacturers and the public. Honeywell Aerospace Technologies’ Uncrewed Aerial Systems and Urban Air Mobility Certification Guide outlines the certification processes, operational rules and milestones achieved by leading countries in the AAM space.

Trust and Public Acceptance

The introduction of disruptive technologies that have the potential to change aspects of your daily life, like your commute, or expose you to new places or experiences; change can be exciting – but new and unfamiliar.

"Meaningful public involvement and engagement around advanced air mobility will be critical for this new sector,” Christopher Coes, Acting Under Secretary for Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, said at the AAM Summit. “We need to make sure that we have robust processes in place to engage communities large and small, rural, suburban or urban, so they can have a say in the services that are operated there."

Economic Impact

The economic potential of AAM is significant. The development of this sector could create new jobs, stimulate economic growth and enhance transportation infrastructure. The potential benefits of AAM extend beyond the transportation industry, impacting various sectors and contributing to overall economic development. According to analysis and insights from Deloitte’s 2021 Advanced Air Mobility Survey, the AAM market for passenger and cargo mobility in the U.S. is estimated to reach $115 billion annually by 2035 and account for more than 280,000 jobs.

What’s next?

As experts at the Advanced Air Mobility Summit discussed, this new mode of transportation is already here.

“AAM isn't a future ‘Jetsons’ concept. It is actually happening now in our airspace. There are charging stations across the country already,” said Kristie Greco Johnson, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Business Aviation Association, at the AAM Summit. 

With continued innovation and critical collaboration between public and private sectors, the future of AAM has potential to accelerate in this decade.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Advanced Air Mobility implementation plan, Innovate28, is designed to enable AAM operations at scale in the U.S. by 2028 and in time for the LA Olympics. The European Union, China, United Arab Emirates and Japan are in different stages of AAM maturity, with China being the first country to issue an Advanced Air Mobility type certificate, which is used to validate or certify an AAM vehicle. China is already using these vehicles to transport people. 

Get more insights from the 2024 Advanced Air Mobility Summit and learn more about Honeywell's role in the Advanced Air Mobility sector.