Washington, DC, Dec. 17, 2025 –The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomes a comprehensive strategic plan unveiled today by Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy to accelerate U.S. advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies.
AAM aircraft – powered by electric, hybrid and hydrogen propulsion, and sometimes referred to as “air taxis” – represent a revolutionary change in air travel, offering the efficient, safe, sustainable transportation of people and goods for a wide variety of mission types.
The DOT’s Advanced Air Mobility National Strategy – introduced on the 122nd anniversary of the Wright brothers’ pioneering first flight – will allow the U.S. to accelerate the development and deployment of AAM technologies and integrate the new aircraft into the nation’s airspace. It aims to ensure the U.S. remains the global leader in AAM specifically, and in aviation more broadly.
The plan envisions initial AAM flights in 2027, and new operations in rural and urban areas by 2030. It also points to the many applications for AAM technology: inter-community and regional passenger flights connecting small towns to large cities, and enhancing cargo, military and emergency missions.
View a copy of the DOT’s Advanced Air Mobility National Strategy
With advanced air mobility technologies rapidly maturing, NBAA’s Emerging Technologies Committee and the NBAA AAM Roundtable have continually encouraged policymakers to develop pathways to ensure AAM aircraft can make a safe, smooth transition into aviation systems.
“On behalf of NBAA and the association’s Advanced Air Mobility Roundtable, I want to thank Congress for directing this plan, and the DOT for delivering a national strategy, coordinated across 25 federal agencies, which blazes a path forward for the safe integration of AAM into the national airspace system,” said Matt Byrd, vice chair of NBAA’s Board of Directors and president & CEO of Hillwood Aviation. Byrd delivered his comments during an event held at the DOT to unveil the agency’s AAM national strategy.
“These aircraft will bring enormous benefits to the U.S. – more manufacturing, more exports and jobs, greater mobility and an improved ability to access remote locations,” Byrd continued. “We commend the administration for its commitment to AAM, and we look forward to working with government and industry leaders to make this strategic vision a reality.”
Over the past year, the industry has marked a series of important milestones supporting the development and use of AAM in the U.S. For example:
- Last month, the FAA began an Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing Integration Pilot Program to fast track air taxis to market.
- At NBAA’s convention in October 2024, the FAA unveiled a Special Federal Aviation Regulation to establish rules for the safe, efficient integration of AAM aircraft into the nation’s aviation system.
- In June, President Trump signed an executive order, welcomed by NBAA, to accelerate the safe integration of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) into the national airspace system, and directed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin the pilot program.