Roadmap For Advanced Air Mobility Type Certification: Flying Towards A Collaborative Future

ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY TECHNOLOGIES—GLOBAL AND LOCAL UPDATES

The foundations for the landing areas of the new Dubai International Vertiport are complete, and with the country's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) regulations already in force, Dubai is on track to soon launch commercial electric air taxi services.¹ 

This movement towards the commercial implementation of AAM technologies is also occurring in Southeast Asia. In October 2025, EHang Holdings Limited (an AAM technologies company headquartered in China) announced its launch of an AAM Sandbox Initiative in Thailand, a unique regulatory approach to trialling AAM technologies. The initiative is being undertaken in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand and local partners with the goal of accelerating the commercial operation of AAM aircraft. As continuous trials under this initiative are now underway, we anticipate that Thailand may also soon see AAM aircrafts take to the skies. ²

Closer to home, Airservices Australia's 2025-26 Corporate Plan (Plan) identifies uncrewed aircraft and air mobility operators as key airspace stakeholders. It confirms that Airservices Australia will work closely with them to support the safe, efficient, and sustainable management of Australia's airspace and airport operations.³ The Plan also notes demand volatility in the operating environment. It highlights the likelihood of increasing airspace complexity as traditional and new aircraft types operate side by side. It also refers to a growing focus on decarbonisation. Against that backdrop, Airservices Australia anticipates that AAM will create long term growth opportunities. It expects the value of AAM to increase as productivity and decarbonisation benefits are realised in parallel with worsening road congestion.⁴ 

As Brisbane moves towards the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games (2032 Games), the National Aviation Authorities Network's (Network) announcement in June 2025 of its Roadmap for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Type Certification (Roadmap) could not have come at a better time.⁵ 

The Network is an international collaboration comprising aviation authorities from Australia (Civil Aviation Safety Authority), Canada (Transport Canada Civil Aviation), New Zealand (Civil Aviation Authority), United Kingdom (Civil Aviation Authority), and the United States of America (Federal Aviation Administration).

The Roadmap paves the way for streamlining and simplifying the certification process for AAM aircraft such as flying taxis across Network countries for emerging aircraft types. The type certification process ensures that a particular type of aircraft meets the necessary safety and airworthiness standards set by the relevant aviation authority. Harmonised airworthiness standards as envisaged by the Roadmap are expected to streamline the entry of AAM aircraft in Network countries, meaning that AAM aircraft can get off the ground and into the air faster.

With aircraft movements in Australia set to increase exponentially in the coming years (read more about the growing aviation sector in Australia here), the Roadmap presents an important step forward for the realisation of the highly anticipated flying taxis proposed for use for the 2032 Games. Wisk Aero, backed by Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation, has indicated it intends to launch its flying taxis in Australia in time for the 2032 Games.⁶ 

This article provides a high-level summary of the six key principles of the Roadmap and their broader implications, analyses the challenges and opportunities presented by the Roadmap, and explores the specific implications it has on the 2032 Games and the commercial aviation industry in Australia.

SUMMARY OF KEY PRINCIPLES

The Roadmap sets out six key principles, which are:⁷ 

1. Safety and innovation: Balancing safety standards with technological advancement while still promoting innovation within a safety-first framework;
2. Harmonised type certification: Development of a three-phase approach to achieve streamlined validation of AAM aircraft across the Network. The approach first uses performance-based requirements, then seeks to converge on requirements where differences exist and finally, applies mutually accepted Means of Compliance (MoC);
3. Collaboration and alignment: Fostering collaboration within the Network and enhancing coordination with other key authorities that have active domestic AAM certification projects;
4. Collaborative multi-authority validation: Leveraging opportunities for collaborative multi-authority validation of AAM aircraft undergoing type certification by one of the Network authorities;
5. Incremental approach: Recognition of a “crawl, walk, run” approach to type certifying AAM aircraft, building on initially piloted AAM operations, followed by remotely piloted AAM operations with increasing levels of autonomy; and
6. AAM inclusive bilateral agreements: Establishment of guiding principles and a comprehensive process for entering into new bilateral agreements and updating existing bilateral agreements, specifically regarding type certification and streamlined validation of AAM aircraft. The new bilateral agreements will aim to be inclusive of AAM technology advancements, regulatory changes, and market needs to ensure the proper application of the above principles.

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

The Roadmap is not without its challenges. It recognises the need for:⁸

• Safety: Preserving the safety focus inherent in the type certification process whilst maximising the use of consensus standards and accepted MoC to ensure that Network authorities have the capacity to meet industry demand for type certification and validation; and
• Innovation: Enabling innovation while maintaining, or improving upon, current levels of aviation safety, supporting global harmonisation, and recognising updated bilateral agreements.

The Network recognises that safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to the development of AAM technologies. As technologies and their operations become more complex, society's demand for safety assurances will become even greater. However, the challenge lies in the difference between the priorities of each Network authority's target market. Some markets demand more innovation, while others may prioritise safety. The key to overcoming this challenge may be not only to align MoC and airworthiness standards between Network authorities but also to align the public's demand for safety assurance to ensure that policies reflect the Network's focus on safety.

The Roadmap also offers important opportunities:⁹ 

• Fostering collaboration, promoting technological advancement, and streamlining validation processes within the Network; and
• Meeting industry demand for regulatory harmonisation of certification and validation requirements and processes to enable transferability of AAM aircraft across the Network.

These opportunities provide unique implications for the various stakeholders across the different sectors of the AAM technology industry. For AAM Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), this may mean working with Network authorities to create a certification basis for AAM aircraft. For AAM type certifying and validating authorities, this may involve working with Network authorities and OEMs to achieve collaborative validation. Furthermore, there is a broad invitation for all industry stakeholders to collaborate with the Network to support the development of innovative AAM technologies. 

SPECIFIC IMPLICATIONS

2032 Games

The Roadmap aims to streamline the validation process of type certified AAM aircrafts and create a uniform approach to navigating the complex regulatory landscape. Over time, the Roadmap is expected to improve overall efficiency in the production and operation processes of AAM technologies. The Roadmap provides a promising outlook for turning the adoption of flying taxis for the 2032 Games from an Olympic dream to a reality (read more about using flying taxis for the 2032 Games here). 

Furthermore, as many of the activities outlined in the Roadmap are intended to commence before July 2026, it will be interesting to observe how the Roadmap may influence the use of flying taxis in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Queensland should anticipate the lessons that those games may present to inform planning for the 2032 Games.¹⁰ 

Infrastructure Implications

The Roadmap also carries material consequences for the construction, infrastructure, and broader built-environment sectors. Establishing AAM operations will require new and upgraded assets, including vertiports, charging and battery-swap infrastructure, passenger processing facilities, and integrated intermodal hubs, together with targeted upgrades to existing aviation and transport networks. These projects will need to be delivered against a rapidly evolving regulatory and technical landscape, spanning planning approvals, environmental assessment, building code compliance, and emerging AAM-specific standards. 

For developers, contractors, investors, and airport operators, this presents clear opportunities, particularly in early precinct planning and integration-led design and construction but also introduces heightened risks around interface management, technology obsolescence, allocation of system performance responsibility, and uncertain approval pathways. Early legal engagement will be essential to structure bankable procurement and delivery models, calibrate construction risk allocation, address land and tenure constraints, and align delivery settings with the long-term operational model for AAM.

COMMERCIAL AVIATION INDUSTRY IN AUSTRALIA

In terms of commercial aviation, the Roadmap will help support the growth of the industry by reducing the length and complexity of the processes needed for AAM type certification. Furthermore, the Roadmap is expected to support the innovation of AAM technologies, which may not only allow emerging AAM technology companies to turn their ideas into reality but also allow the industry to advance at an unprecedented rate.

Additionally, the Roadmap aims to achieve a uniform certification process and standard across the Network. This means that, for Network countries, the import and export of AAM technologies and the employment of imported AAM aircraft will become a significantly more efficient and simple process.

CONCLUSION

With flying taxis now in the final stages of testing and certification in the United States,¹¹  and a highly anticipated aspect of the 2032 Olympics taking place in Queensland, the Roadmap is positioning AAM technologies to support a promising future of accelerated development and international collaboration. Through the emergence of AAM technologies across the globe and widespread governmental support for such developments, it is clear that AAM technologies will soon become a key element in the future of Australia's airspace planning and development.

With the next steps outlined in the Roadmap focused on engaging new members and strengthening existing partnerships,¹² K&L Gates as an international firm, with offices across four continents, is uniquely positioned to provide advice on matters relating to AAM technologies. 

Footnotes

1. Dhanusha Gokulan, 'UAE's groundbreaking air taxi launch: What you need to know', Gulf News  (online, 11 September 2025) https://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/uaes-groundbreaking-air-taxi-launch-what-you-need-to-know-1.500265739.

2. EHang, 'EHang Launches AAM Sandbox Initiative in Thailand, Accelerating Path to Global Commercial eVTOL Operations', EHang  (online, 15 October 2025) https://www.ehang.com/news/1293.html.

3. Airservices Australia, Corporate Plan 2025-26 (Corporate Plan, August 2025) 11 ('Airservices Corporate Plan').

4. Ibid 13.

5. National Aviation Authorities Network, Roadmap for Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft Type Certification (Roadmap No 1, 17 June 2025) ('Roadmap').

6. Australian Trade and Investment Commission, Wisk's self-flying, electric air taxis to land in Australia  (News Article, 9 February 2023).

7. Roadmap  (n 5) 6-19.

8. Ibid 5.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid 27.

11. Theo Burman, 'Flying Taxis Are Finally Nearing Takeoff', Newsweek (11 April 2025),
www.newsweek.com/flying-taxis-cars-aavs-taking-off-2057386#:~:text=Advanced%20air%20mobility%20%28AAM%29%2C%20which%20most%20people%20will,and%20certification%20in%20China%20and%20the%20United%20States.

12. Roadmap (n 5) 23.

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