Notice2023-10448
Request for Information on Advanced Air Mobility
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 17, 2023
Issuing agencies
Transportation Department
Abstract
The Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking public input on the development of a national strategy on Advanced Air Mobility as required by the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act. DOT has formed a team composed of multiple executive agencies that is seeking input on a variety of topics as outlined below.
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 95 (Wednesday, May 17, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 95 (Wednesday, May 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31593-31597]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-10448]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
[Docket No. DOT-OST-2023-0079]
Request for Information on Advanced Air Mobility
AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.
ACTION: Notice and request for information.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking public input
on the development of a national strategy on Advanced Air Mobility as
required by the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act.
DOT has formed a team composed of multiple executive agencies that is
seeking input on a variety of topics as outlined below.
DATES: Respondents are invited to submit comments no later than July
17, 2023.
ADDRESSES: You may submit responses and other comments identified by
``RFI Response: Advanced Air Mobility'' and Docket No. DOT-OST-2023-
0079, by any of the following methods:
<bullet> Federal Rulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#612005172008132c0e03080d0815183e28362621050e154f060e17"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="58193c2e19312a15373a3134312c2107110f1f183c372c763f372e">[email protected]</span></a>. Include ``RFI Response:
Advanced Air Mobility'' and Docket No. DOT-OST-2023-0079 in the subject
line of the email.
<bullet> Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: Docket Operations Office, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Building
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday
through Friday, except on Federal holidays. Include ``RFI Response:
Advanced Air Mobility'' and Docket No. DOT-OST-2023-0079 on the cover
page of the submission. Because paper mail in the Washington, DC, area
is subject to delay, commenters are strongly encouraged to submit
comments electronically.
Any submissions received after the deadline may not be accepted or
considered.
Instructions: DOT encourages the early submission of comments. All
submissions should include the docket number for this request for
information. All comments received will be posted without change to
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. All comments, including attachments and
other supporting material, will become part of the public record and
subject to public disclosure. Comments generally will not be edited to
remove any identifying or contact information.
Confidential Business Information (CBI): CBI is commercial or
financial information that is customarily and actually treated as
private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5
U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments in
response to this RFI contain commercial or financial information that
is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private,
and that is relevant or responsive to this RFI, it is important that
you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each
page of your submission containing CBI as ``PROPIN'' to indicate that
it contains proprietary information. DOT will treat such marked
submissions as confidential under FOIA and not place them in the public
docket of this RFI. Submissions containing CBI should be sent to the
name and physical or email address listed below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lauralyn Jean Remo Temprosa, Associate
Director, Office of Aviation Analysis, Office of the Secretary, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building
Room W86-310, Washington, DC 20590. <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#612005172008132c0e03080d0815183e28362621050e154f060e17"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="59183d2f18302b14363b3035302d2006100e1e193d362d773e362f">[email protected]</span></a>, (202)
366-5903.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is an emerging field in which novel
aircraft currently in design and testing could provide new levels of
accessibility, convenience, and connectivity for people and cargo--and
thus transform
[[Page 31594]]
our nation's transportation system to provide enhanced mobility for the
traveling and shipping public. AAM aircraft--typically incorporating
electric and hybrid-electric propulsion with vertical or short takeoff
and landing capability--could greatly expand the reach and efficiency
of current transportation networks by providing, among other things,
shuttle services between airports and downtown locations, more dynamic
and affordable medical evacuation and emergency response, rapid
transportation of goods between cargo terminals and job sites, and on-
demand air services between regions without existing rapid, reliable
transportation links.
Provided that governments and industry work effectively together to
deliver affordable and inclusive services to a broad range of the
traveling and shipping public, the prospective benefits of this new and
transformative technology could be significant,\1\ including expansion
of existing aviation services nationwide, reduction in carbon emissions
versus current forms of transportation, improved safety and simplicity
of maintenance and operations of aircraft, new jobs and career fields
in advanced technology, and reduced noise impacts versus traditional
aviation. However, as with any new technology, AAM also introduces a
series of challenges affecting multiple government and non-government
stakeholders, such as ensuring the continued safety and security of the
airspace, the security of aviation networks, fully understanding and
developing infrastructure requirements, and ensuring input from local
communities. The rapid emergence of AAM is already challenging existing
regulations and practices of all Federal departments and agencies that
are responsible for aviation, communications, defense and security,
global affairs, and infrastructure development.
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\1\ See for example, this private industry assessment: <a href="https://nexacapital.com/reports-and-commentary">https://nexacapital.com/reports-and-commentary</a>.
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In October 2022 Congress passed, and the President signed, the
``Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act'' \2\ (``the
Act''), which requires the Department of Transportation to form an
interagency working group (IWG) to develop a national AAM strategy by
2024. The purpose of the strategy is to ensure the Federal government,
in partnership with State, local, and Tribal entities, is ready to work
with and oversee the AAM industry, including developing new
transportation options, amplifying economic activity and jobs,
advancing environmental sustainability and new technologies, and
supporting emergency preparedness and American competitiveness so that
the United States continues to lead the world in aviation into the 21st
century.\3\
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\2\ See Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act,
Public Law 117-203, accessible at <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/516/text">https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/516/text</a>.
\3\ Sec. 2(b) of the Act.
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The DOT established and is leading IWG as outlined in the Act.
Safety is the highest priority of the DOT and the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA). Currently, DOT and FAA are working to develop and
communicate to the public its regulatory concept of operations to
safely enable AAM operations. AAM operations will typically start as
piloted flights using traditional air traffic control procedures and
existing regulatory structures. However, more ubiquitous and economical
AAM operations are expected to require development of new technologies,
procedures, and regulations that incorporate highly automated,
unpiloted aircraft flying at lower altitudes with smaller areas of
separation than in current operating environments. Given the importance
of safety and security to the success of a future AAM system, the DOT
requests comments on safety challenges and related subjects in response
to this RFI. The DOT seeks comments specifically addressing public
acceptance of AAM operations and the appropriate means of public
engagement necessary to enable AAM operations in the future. The FAA
will also continue to share information with industry and stakeholders
to produce and iterate upon an AAM Concept of Operations for the
national airspace. The AAM IWG will produce a comprehensive national
strategy with a focus on interagency, multi-modal, global leadership,
and intergovernmental cooperation issues, with the objective of
identifying challenges that must be overcome by federal agencies for a
successful AAM system to develop in the United States.
For general awareness, the IWG has created subgroups with more
specific sets of responsibilities and issues to explore:
Automation Strategy, led by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA): Focused on understanding the acceleration of the
desired transition from initial AAM operations with conventionally
qualified, onboard pilots through advanced capabilities proposed by the
AAM industry, such as simplified vehicle operations, remotely piloted
operations, autonomous operations, and remotely supervised flight
operations. This group is considering automation strategy with a
comprehensive view related to vehicle, airspace, and enabling
communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS) capabilities to
enable various automation/autonomy stages.
Security Requirements, led by the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA): Focused on resolving security concerns related to
the introduction and expansion of AAM operations into the existing
interconnected transportation domain, preventing the errant or
malicious use of AAM systems, and identifying and mitigating potential
security risks to AAM aircraft, operations, ground support systems, and
other critical infrastructure.
Air Traffic Federation, led by the FAA: Focused on identifying the
requirements and operations management needed to ensure continued
safety of the national airspace system (NAS).
Infrastructure Development, led by the Federal Communications
Commission and the FAA: Focused on understanding the aviation
facilities needed to support AAM operations, including ground
infrastructure; services, including emergency services; accessibility
and competition; telecommunications; weather observation and
prediction; utility resources; maintenance of vertiports; sensory
systems needed for communications, navigation, and surveillance; and
multimodal compatibility.
Community Roles, led by NASA and the FAA: Focused on understanding
the need for good public planning for these new technologies and issues
such as land governance, transportation equity and accessibility,
economic impacts, environmental issues, and workforce development.
The IWG is aware that a national strategy for AAM may describe
programs or plans that affect the equities of other aviation
stakeholders and business models, including drone operators, who may
use portions of the same airspace and may be undertaking some similar
missions, such as transportation of cargo. While the Act focuses on
AAM, the IWG welcomes comments from drone stakeholders insofar as a
national AAM strategy should be aligned to achieve positive and
consistent outcomes for all users of the national airspace. Section
2(d) of the Act requires the IWG to coordinate with a variety of
external stakeholders including: \4\ AAM manufacturers,
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commercial air carriers, potential AAM operators, labor
representatives, state and local governments, and others.
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\4\ See Public Law 117-203.
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II. Request for Information
The DOT, working with its federal interagency partners, wishes to
hear from the public and any stakeholders on the critical issues of
importance in drafting a national AAM strategy. DOT will share and
discuss this information with the other federal agencies participating
in the IWG. Respondents may provide information for any topic or
question below. There is no requirement to address any particular issue
or question. Through this RFI, DOT primarily seeks information
regarding:
<bullet> what should be addressed in the AAM national strategy,
<bullet> what respondents believe are existing barriers to success
of AAM implementation; and
<bullet> what steps should the Federal Government focus on in the
short (2-3 years), medium (4-8 years), and long term (8+ years) in
order to maximize the potential for successful AAM implementation in
the United States. Commenters may wish to identify specific steps for
specific federal agencies.
Comments on ongoing rulemaking actions at DOT or other federal
agencies should be made to those respective dockets. This request for
information will support the AAM IWG's high-level efforts to draft a
national AAM strategy.
In addition to the above, DOT welcomes further and more detailed
input on all subjects outlined in Section 2(e) of the Act,\5\ as well
as the more specific subjects listed below. The topics below were
identified by the AAM IWG subgroups as important, although many of
them, such as cybersecurity, overlap between more than one subgroup.
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\5\ Sec. 2(e) Review and Examination. Not later than 1 year
after the working group is established under subsection (a), the
working group shall complete a review and examination of, at a
minimum--(1) the steps that will mature AAM aircraft operations,
concepts, and regulatory frameworks beyond initial operations; (2)
the air traffic management and safety concepts that might be
considered as part of evolving AAM to higher levels of traffic
density; (3) current Federal programs and policies that could be
leveraged to advance the maturation of the AAM industry; (4)
infrastructure, including aviation, cybersecurity,
telecommunication, multimodal, and utility infrastructure, necessary
to accommodate and support expanded operations of AAM after initial
implementation; (5) steps needed to ensure a robust and secure
domestic supply chain; (6) anticipated benefits associated with AAM
aircraft operations, including economic, environmental, emergency
and natural disaster response, and transportation benefits; (7) the
interests, roles, and responsibilities of Federal, State, local, and
Tribal governments affected by AAM aircraft operations; and (8)
other factors that may limit the full potential of the AAM industry,
including community acceptance or restrictions of such operations.
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1. Most Likely Use Cases: Descriptions of the most likely use cases
for AAM in the short, medium, and long term along with high-level
estimations of when these use cases may come to market. Also, what
government actions could enhance or inhibit those market timelines? Are
there use cases that are a national priority? Please include
descriptions of the operating areas, other transportation options
available in the operating area, the supporting infrastructure for the
conceptual ecosystem, and the roles and expected involvement that
private industry as well as the federal, state, local, tribal, and
territorial governments would have in AAM integration.
2. Safety Enhancements: Understanding that safety must be the key
component of any future AAM operations, provide information on how new
concepts in aviation, such as third-party service providers,
automation, and new forms of navigation-enabling infrastructure,
provide for, or even enhance, the level of safety of operations.
3. Expected Customer Experience: Information about AAM regarding
scheduling and ticketing a flight, arrival at a vertiport, passenger
and baggage screening, flights boarding, and flight and postflight
experience. This information should include procedures passengers
should expect to encounter prior to boarding; assistance available for
passengers (either on board the aircraft or on the ground); how
passengers communicate problems in the cabin; expected levels of
comfort in terms of vibration, transition phases (in/out of hover),
cabin noise, heat ventilation and air conditioning air quality; how
stowage of cargo is achieved including essential items such as
wheelchairs; and divisions of responsibility between vertiport and
operations personnel. Any comments specific to cargo or other types of
AAM operations are also welcome.
4. Research, Development, and Testing Environment: Information
about the current status, accessibility, and adequacy of policies and
institutions to promote research and development that enable a world-
class AAM industry in the United States. Please comment on the adequacy
and suitability of existing, congressionally directed test sites. The
AAM IWG is also interested in the processes for enabling testing of
these technologies and systems, and suggested expansions or
improvements of testing locations, platforms, or other suggestions to
better enable testing of emerging aviation technologies and highly
automated systems. As part of the comprehensive testing options, the
AAM IWG is interested in understanding simulation, demonstrations, and
validation capabilities that must be available to conduct demonstration
and validation activities to accelerate maturity.
5. Statutory and Regulatory Scheme: Information about specific
statutes, federal regulations, or other legal authorities that could be
created or updated to support AAM in the United States and maintain the
regulatory agility necessary to safely enable this new form of
transportation.
6. Role of State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Governments:
Information about the role that state, local, tribal, and territorial
governments should play in enabling AAM in the United States.
7. Anticipated Power Requirements: Information about the
anticipated demand on power grids by AAM, the ability of municipal
power grids to accommodate this anticipated demand, and improvements or
investments in power infrastructure needed to enable such operations.
This also includes information on how AAM could generally assist in
achieving long-term energy sustainability and efficiency goals, such as
using alternative forms of energy for propulsion (e.g., hydrogen), and
the infrastructure requirements that would accompany these alternative
power structures.
8. Supply Chain: Information about existing or planned supply chain
requirements for current AAM manufacture, including traceability of
components and potential vulnerabilities in the event of possible
international supply chain disruptions such as what occurred during the
COVID pandemic. To ensure that the AAM industry at large will be
supported in the entire life cycle without causing undue security risks
and ensuring U.S. competitiveness, the original equipment manufacturers
(OEMs) as well as suppliers, are encouraged to provide inputs related
to the challenges and gaps they may experience in future AAM supply
chains. This includes supply chain challenges related to the entire
life cycle, from mining, materials, processing, manufacturing
capabilities, and limited/few suppliers. In particular, dependencies on
foreign entities that could cause security risks must be clearly
understood.
9. Privacy: Information about the technologies, data systems,
software, or other products that can be used in conjunction with
emerging technologies that potentially impact the privacy of the
public.
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10. Workforce Development: Information about the knowledge, skills,
and abilities needed in the working population to accelerate AAM in the
United States, including federal labor policies that could assist or
expand the populations available to support the AAM industry. What can
federal agencies do, working together, to build a skilled labor force
in the United States to support the growth of this industry? This
inquiry also includes information about educational pathways and
training programs necessary to produce a workforce competent to
operate, manage, fix, improve, and regulate emerging aviation
technologies, associated infrastructure, and underlying policies.
11. Global Leadership and International Practices: Information
about the steps that the United States needs to take to become a
durable global leader in AAM and safe automated technologies, from
establishing regulatory standards and practices that will enable the
industry to safely develop the engagements necessary that support
international AAM services in North America and beyond. In addition,
the AAM IWG seeks information about the impact of foreign government
approaches to regulate emerging airspace technologies, including
recommended practices the U.S. government should consider adopting as
well as practices the U.S. government should avoid.
12. National Security and Aviation Security Implications:
Information about the national security implications of accelerating
AAM in the United States, specifically how physical security of
passengers and cargo should be addressed and who should bear
responsibility for security assurances, security and system resilience,
and what threats exist in considering the growth of counter-drone
capabilities that will operate in similar low-altitude airspace.
Information on these and other security issues should include the dual-
use nature of any emerging airspace technologies and any opportunities
or vulnerabilities created by emerging technologies and associated risk
mitigation recommendations.
13. Vertiport Development and Operations: Information about the
expected role of governments and private industries at all levels as to
the development, funding, and operation of vertiports. The term
``vertiport'' in this capacity is meant to describe a range of
specialty landing, boarding, and takeoff areas designed for AAM
operations, including single-operation vertiports, vertiports
integrated into existing airports and heliports today, as well as
sprawling, multi-operation, multi-purpose, and multi-transportation
option vertiports that act as commercial and transportation hubs. The
AAM IWG seeks information on whether system planning similar to the
National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems \6\ should exist for
vertiports, and what level of coordination is required for effective
vertiport planning and use.
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\6\ Accessible at <a href="https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias">https://www.faa.gov/airports/planning_capacity/npias</a>.
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14. Electromagnetic Spectrum: Information on the electromagnetic
spectrum and telecommunications infrastructure needs of piloted and
autonomous AAM applications in the near, medium, and long term,
including what spectrum-using applications (e.g. communications,
navigation, radar, command and control, payload, telemetry, or others)
should be considered necessary components of an AAM ecosystem and what
the state of development of such applications is in the near, medium,
and long term; what spectrum bands are being considered or tested to
support such applications; any specific spectral characteristics needed
to support various AAM applications (e.g. bandwidth, propagation
characteristics, and reliability); network infrastructure deployment
scenarios under development for functions such as command and control;
network architecture needed for local/regional/nationwide flights;
additional systems or capacities needed; forecasting of expected demand
in the near, medium, and long-term for frequencies; risks associated
with integrating AAM into existing navigation, communication, and other
systems; and any statutory, legal or policy changes related to
electromagnetic spectrum use that would facilitate AAM.
15. System Resilience: Information about how the AAM industry plans
to secure critical systems by integrating cybersecurity and identifying
critical systems in the design of overall architecture of the sector as
it evolves. Furthermore, include what tools are available or must be
developed to identify critical AAM systems and ensure that those
systems have the necessary measures in place to identify, detect, and
mitigate potential software intrusions. The government also seeks
information about how overall transportation system resilience will be
affected by AAM.
16. Environmental Impacts and Public Involvement. Information
regarding the reasonably foreseeable environmental benefits and costs
of integrating AAM operations into the U.S. airspace and broader
transportation system, including the application of any standard
methodologies to identify, investigate, and evaluate (either
qualitatively or quantitatively) potential environmental impacts and
available mitigation measures. Information regarding opportunities to
synchronize, sequence, or coordinate applicable permitting/licensing
and public involvement/consultation requirements or processes across
Federal, State, local, or Tribal government to minimize duplication and
improve efficiency and effectiveness.
17. Alternative Means of Navigation Beyond GPS: Given that these
vehicles are expected to operate in urban, suburban, and remote places,
reliable and persistent GPS may not be always available. Additionally,
AAM are expected to operate in areas where today's radar arrays do not
or cannot provide service. What are the most efficient, reliable, and
readily available means to provide communication, navigation, and
surveillance for AAM in a way that will not disrupt other modes of
transportation? Please provide thorough information on alternative
options to ensure continuity of navigation using alternative position,
navigation, and timing capabilities.
18. Overall Functional Architecture: Given that AAM is an ecosystem
consisting of aircraft, airspace, enabling communication, navigation,
and surveillance technologies, as well as infrastructure, it is
important to ensure consistency of assumptions about functions and
requirements from each of these components. Please provide information
regarding your assumptions about functional capabilities needed for
infrastructure, communication, navigation, and surveillance
technologies. This will enable the development of afunctional
architecture consisting of comprehensive functional requirements and
their performance, information exchanges, and various assumptions about
roles and responsibilities.
19. Automation Standards: Information on needed consensus areas,
standards, and design guidelines related to automation; critical
integration challenges with the national airspace system; and data
needed or available to inform standards, safety tools, and artificial
intelligence/machine learning enabled systems.
20. Other Areas of Interest: Respondents are encouraged to identify
areas that are not directly identified or not adequately expressed for
which inter-governmental coordination is critical to the success of AAM
ecosystem.
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Issued in Washington, DC, on May 11, 2023.
Carlos Monje,
Under Secretary for Policy, Department of Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2023-10448 Filed 5-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P
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