FAA finalizes pilot training, certification rules for air taxis

By David Shepardson

(Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday it was finalizing comprehensive training and pilot certification rules for flying air taxis, addressing a key hurdle to the deployment of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

The White House cleared the FAA’s final rules on Friday that were first proposed in June 2023. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker confirmed the final rule at a conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday. “That is light speed for rulemaking,” Whitaker said. “This is a new type, a new category of aircraft. ..This rule will create an operating environment so these companies can figure out how to train pilots, they can figure out how to operate.”

Low-altitude urban aircraft known as eVTOLs have drawn intense global interest, with numerous companies going public like Joby Aviation (NYSE:JOBY) and Archer Aviation.

Whitaker said the rule is designed to be very flexible. The regulation has “a performance-based approach, so you can look at fuel reserves and other things with this new technology, account for safety,” he said.

Airlines and other companies are looking at developing transport services using battery-powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically to ferry travelers to airports or for short city trips, allowing them to beat traffic.

Former acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen, who is chief safety officer at Archer, said the announcement is a big milestone for the deployment of flying air taxis. “Now we’ve got a roadmap,” he said.

The FAA said previously that air taxi operations will begin at a low rate, similar to helicopters, and using existing routes and infrastructure such as helipads and vertiports.

Under the FAA’s 2023 proposal, pilots working for eVTOL manufacturers could serve as the initial cadre of flight instructors, who would then train instructors at flight schools and carriers. Alternate eligibility criteria would enable some pilots to meet flight-time experience requirements faster.

Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) invested $60 million in Joby in a partnership aiming to offer passengers air taxi transport to and from airports in New York and Los Angeles within a few years. Earlier this month, Toyota (NYSE:TM) invested $500 million in Joby.