A bipartisan group of lawmakers this week introduced legislation designed to help pave the way for the development of infrastructure to support the emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) sector. The Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act (AAIM), H.R.6270, would direct the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program that would provide planning and construction grants to support AAM infrastructure development.
NBAA, which has strongly supported the bill along with other associations such as the Helicopter Association International, said this could include public-use vertiports. The grant program would also support integration into the nation’s airspace, leverage existing public transportation facilities, and develop community engagement programs.
House Transportation and Infrastructure aviation subcommittee chair Rick Larsen (D-Washington), ranking aviation subcommittee member Garret Graves (R-Louisiana), and Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nevada) jointly introduced the bill.
NBAA said the bill is the result of advocacy efforts from the association along with a broad group of aviation stakeholders that recognize AAM has the potential to support nearly 300,000 jobs and generate a $115 billion annual market by 2035 while reducing congestion and emissions.
“The successful integration of AAM will depend upon comprehensive planning, construction, and community input,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “The targeted investments proposed in this legislation will assist U.S. state, local, and tribal governments in creating new, innovative, and sustainable air transportation networks throughout our country that will support hundreds of thousands of green jobs while also ensuring our nation’s global leadership in aviation.”
NBAA noted it has established an AAM Roundtable to serve as a forum for high-level sector leaders to work on developing integrating technologies.