Airport Alert: Senate Passes Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act

March 24, 2022 

The Senate passed by voice vote, S. 516, the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, sponsored by Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) late on March 23. In November, the House passed its own version of this bill with broad bipartisan support. With similar versions of the AAM Coordination and Leadership Act having now cleared both chambers, there is a good chance that lawmakers will find a way to clear a final bill “ likely the Senate version “ at some point this year.  

The AAM Coordination and Leadership Act directs DOT to establish an AAM interagency working group with other federal agencies to plan and coordinate efforts related to the safety, infrastructure, physical security, cybersecurity, and federal investment necessary to bolster the AAM ecosystem in the United States. The working group will be tasked to review and make recommendations for the federal role in the AAM sector, beyond the initial critical stage of aircraft certification and operations, with a focus on economic and workforce opportunities, potential physical and digital security risks and mitigations, and infrastructure development. It will also engage with a variety of industry stakeholders, including airports, as well as state, local, and tribal governments, stakeholder associations and labor groups.  

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) refers to an air transportation system that moves people and cargo between places using new aircraft designs that are integrated into existing airspace operations as well as operated in local, regional, intraregional, rural, and urban environments. In May, AAAE formed a AAM Working Group to keep members engaged on issues and discussions involving AAM initiatives in Washington along with AAM market developments, the concept of vertiports and the impact they will have on airports, the integration of AAM operations within the airport ecosystem and the National Airspace System, and the technological advancements of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. 

Earlier this year, AAAE signed a broad coalition stakeholder letter in support of this legislation. That letter highlighted the enormous potential and broad societal benefits of this rapidly developing and transformative aviation sector.