Senator Moran's Legislation to Streamline FAA Certification for AAM Aircraft Advances
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space and Innovation, has announced the Senate Commerce Committee's approval of the Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act. This bipartisan legislation, co-introduced with Senators Peter Welch and Ted Budd, aims to enhance the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) type certification process for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft. The bill seeks to prevent gridlock and increase transparency in the certification process, thereby strengthening the U.S. aviation industry and maintaining American leadership in global aviation innovation. The legislation proposes establishing non-binding timelines for the FAA's certification process, setting transparent time ranges for reviews, and allowing the FAA discretion to exclude safety-critical matters from timelines. It also directs the FAA to brief Congress on the implementation status and update delegation guidance for new technologies like eVTOL aircraft.