US proposes rules to advance flying taxi operations

The US FAA Monday proposed new rules that would help pave the way for commercial air taxi operations by around the middle of the decade. Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) have been touted as flying taxis that could be the future of urban air mobility. The low-altitude urban air mobility aircraft has drawn intense interest around the world as numerous eVTOL companies have gone public. The FAA issued a proposal to update its air carrier definition to add "powered-lift" operations to regulations covering other commercial operations like airlines, charters and air tours. "This powered-lift definitions rule lays the foundation that will allow operators to use powered-lift aircraft," the agency said in a statement to Reuters. The FAA is separately developing a powered-lift operations rule for certifying pilots and operating requirements to fly eVTOLs. The agency expects to publish the proposal next summer. Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen told reporters last week that the agency does not expect the first eVTOL to begin commercial operations until late 2024 or more likely early 2025. "At any rate it won't happen until the safety piece has been satisfied," he said. Airlines and others are looking at developing transport services using battery-powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically to ferry travelers to airports or on short trips between cities, allowing them to beat traffic.<br/>