Feds clear way for EVTOL startups to bring flying vehicles to U.S. airspace

Federal regulators have cleared the path for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to share U.S. airspace with planes and helicopters — a win for the burgeoning industry and a timely decision for startups like Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation that are expected to launch air taxi networks commercially in 2025. 

The Federal Aviation Administration published Tuesday its much-anticipated final ruling on the integration of “powered-lift” vehicles, a category the FAA revived two years ago to accommodate eVTOLs and one that describes aircraft that can take off and land like helicopters but then transition to forward flight like airplanes. 

“Powered-lift aircraft are the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years and this historic rule will pave the way for accommodating wide-scale Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations in the future,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. Whitaker announced the rule during the NBAA-Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Las Vegas. 

The ruling also contains guidelines for pilot training and clarifies operating rules. For example, aside from a new type of powered-lift pilot certification, the ruling includes an expanded ability for operators to train and qualify pilots using flight simulation training devices. 

The operating rules are tailored specifically to powered-lift vehicles and, as such, allow eVTOLs the flexibility to switch between helicopter and airplane rules as needed.

Joby, Archer, Beta Technologies, and Wisk Aero — which are building aircraft for urban air taxi networks, defense, cargo, and medical logistics — have worked closely with the FAA since 2022 to develop this new set of rules for training, operations, and maintenance. 

“[The ruling] aligns with all the hopes that we had been designing for,” Greg Bowles, head of government affairs at Joby Aviation, told TechCrunch. “So the way that we’ve designed the operating system, the cockpit we’ve designed, the way we’ve designed for energy reserves, all align with the FAA rule.”

Bowles also noted that Joby will be able to begin commercial operations once it receives its type certification from the FAA, which means the design of the startup’s aircraft and other major aircraft components meet required safety and airworthiness standards. Joby is in the fourth of five stages of type certification, and recently received a $500 million capital injection from Toyota to help it get across the finish line.