The US Department of Transportation (US DOT) has launched the National Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Strategy and related action plan that sets out 40 recommendations to support the development of advanced air mobility operations in the US.
US Transportation Secretary Sean P Duffy unveiled the documents, which the department describes as the country’s first AAM National Strategy.
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According to the department, the strategy is intended to “safely and efficiently support AAM operations” and to advance President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda by “unleashing America’s economic strength and ensuring the US and not our adversaries, remain a global leader in next-generation aviation”.
The plan places the recommendations within six areas, including airspace, automation, community planning and engagement, infrastructure, security and workforce.
The department noted that these six pillars are essential to building an AAM system and to establishing “a resilient foundation for national policy”.
Duffy said: “Since the Wright brothers first took flight in 1903, America has been at the forefront of aviation innovation. Today, we have a bold strategy to unlock the future of our skies and unleash this next chapter of aviation safely and efficiently.”
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By GlobalDataThe department defines AAM as a “rapidly-emerging aerospace sector focused on safely and efficiently integrating highly automated aircraft into US airspace”.
The strategy highlighted that AAM has the potential to transform the way Americans live, work, and connect by improving transportation in both rural and urban areas, bolstering cargo operations, and advancing medical and military transport capabilities.
An accompanying implementation plan is designed to carry out the strategy’s recommendations and to “support the safe, secure, and coordinated introduction of AAM”.
Airports Council International–North America president and CEO Kevin Burke said: “Airports are grateful for the leadership of Secretary Duffy, along with the US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration, in launching the AAM National Strategy and Comprehensive Plan.”
The plan groups actions into four strategic phases under a framework called LIFT.
Across these phases, the plan identifies high-level activities in research, stakeholder engagement, policy development, and technical deployment.
Electra.aero CEO Marc Allen said: “Today is a landmark moment for advanced air mobility. At Electra, we applaud the administration’s visionary leadership in navigating the most significant shift in aviation in a generation.”
According to the department, the US aviation industry and its workforce generate $1.8tn in economic activity, contributing 4% of the country’s GDP. Future aviation is expected to include AAM, offering new options for moving people and cargo with greater mobility, connectivity, and convenience.
Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein said: “The future of aviation must be built in America.
“We welcome Secretary Duffy and the Department of Transportation’s leadership in advancing air taxis and are committed to bringing them into safe, real-world operation here in the US.”
The strategy builds on recent policy initiatives highlighted in the DOT’s materials. It noted that in June, Trump signed the Executive Order ‘Unleashing American Drone Dominance’ to boost US productivity, generate high-skilled jobs, and transform the future of aviation.
It also cites the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, passed by Congress in 2022, which called for a whole-of-government approach to advancing the US AAM ecosystem.
BETA Technologies founder and CEO Kyle Clark said: “Global leadership in advanced air mobility will be held by those who build, certify, and deploy first.
“This National strategy, which lays out a bold, long-term vision for the future of this industry, puts the US on that path, and BETA’s products are positioned to help deliver it.”
