USDOT Launches First National Advanced Air Mobility Strategy

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy launches the first national strategy for Advanced Air Mobility to guide integration of air taxis and drones.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has launched the nation's first-ever National Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Strategy, a comprehensive federal roadmap to integrate electric air taxis, cargo drones, and other novel aircraft into the national airspace. This landmark strategy, directed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), aims to unlock the economic and transportation benefits of urban air mobility while ensuring safety, security, and equity. The framework represents a critical step in transitioning from technological demonstrations to a scalable, regulated future of flight ecosystem.

This national strategy contrasts with the previously fragmented, project-by-project approach to AAM regulation and infrastructure. The plan establishes federal priorities for airspace integration, community engagement, workforce development, and global leadership. Publishing this coordinated framework is the critical deliverable to provide certainty for industry investment and guide interagency collaboration. This matters because it signals the U.S. government's commitment to proactively shaping a new transportation mode, rather than reacting to its emergence, aiming to maintain U.S. technological leadership and establish global standards.

For AAM manufacturers, city planners, aviation authorities, and investors, the implications are foundational. This strategy necessitates synchronized planning for vertiport infrastructure, air traffic management updates, and new pilot training protocols. The forecast is for accelerated regulatory rulemaking by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and targeted public funding for demonstration projects. Decision-makers must now align local zoning and transportation plans with this federal vision. The next imperative for the USDOT is to swiftly translate the strategy's principles into actionable implementation plans with clear milestones, ensuring the U.S. builds a safe, efficient, and accessible AAM industry that benefits all communities.