Airport Grants Announced August 30, 2022

FAA Awards $231,000 in Grants to Expand Outreach to Under-Represented Students in STEM

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded $231,000 in grants to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) outreach.  

“If kids can dream it, they can do it. It’s up to us to light the path for them,” said FAA Deputy Administrator Bradley Mims.

Three grants are for universities to facilitate STEM outreach to students,...

U.S. DOT Renews Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee

The U.S. Department of Transportation is renewing the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) through June 2023.

COMSTAC members lend their expertise to provide advice and recommendations to the Department and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on a host of topics. From safety and technology to operations and the...

FAA Awards $2.7M in Drone Research to Support Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Response

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded $2.7 million to support research on how drones can assist in disaster preparedness and in emergencies. 

“Every second counts in an emergency, and this funding will allow drones to safely and more quickly deploy in moments when minutes matter,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen.

The research will explore the use of drones in...

Annual Virginia Aviation Conference

Hello everyone. I’m honored to launch the first full day of the Annual Virginia Aviation conference. I hope you’re having an excellent day there in the great city of Roanoke….

Everyone has heard the expression, Virginia is for Lovers. 

Well I have my own version of that slogan: Virginia is for Aviation Lovers.

My love for aviation began in Virginia…at a little general aviation airport called Bailey’s Crossroads. My mom would drop me and my brother off to watch planes take off and land while she ran errands. We’d pretend we were pilots. 

….I felt that passion for aviation all over again two weeks ago when I attended the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. 

As an adult working on Capitol Hill, I helped make Virginia the place for aviation history lovers when I worked for the Smithsonian Institution. 

My job was to lobby members of Congress to create what would become the Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles Airport. That was a success story.  

If you’ve ever been out there on a weekend, you know what a magnet Hazy is for people, especially children. 

I’ll bet you a lot of aerospace careers started because parents took a child to that facility, maybe even in a stroller….I’m very proud of that work. 

Later on, I got to show my love for Virginia aviation as a Board member of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, where I was co-chair of the Dulles Corridor and Finance Committees. 

It was an honor to do that work, especially because National and Dulles have always been on the leading edge of safety and efficiency technologies for airports.   

Think about it… In 1947, National Airport was the first airport to have ground control radar. 

In 1964, Dulles Airport was the site of the first automatic landing….all the way to touchdown. 

In 1967, National paved the way for the first grooved runways—pavement with channels dug into the surface to prevent hydroplaning. 

And in 1971, Dulles launched its iconic mobile lounges!  

At the FAA, we continue to keep an eye on the future when it comes to safety and efficiency technologies. 

At our National Airport Pavement and Materials Research Center in Atlantic City, we’re studying how we can use polymers to make runways and taxiways more resilient and longer lasting. 

These experts are also paving the way for the arrival of Advanced Air Mobility—air taxis—to a vertiport near you. 

They’re researching landing areas, approach and departure paths, lighting, parking, charging stations and noise requirements. 

And they’re doing this work with urgency because the FAA is likely to certify several air taxis in the 2024 timeframe.  

The FAA is also looking holistically at “smart” airports. The idea is to use technology to help manage and plan operations in a centralized digital environment.  

When you combine the FAA’s commitment to airports with the Biden Administration’s focus on infrastructure, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make Virginia’s airports—and all American airports—the best they can be. 

Under the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, the FAA has access to $25 billion in funding over five years…. That’s $15 billion for airport infrastructure, $5 billion for airport terminals and $5 billion for air traffic facilities. 

In year ONE of the program, 46 Virginia airports were allocated nearly $77 million for infrastructure upgrades….and two airports—Dulles and Richmond—received nearly $51 million under the airport terminals program. 

Along with more capacity and energy efficiency, the airport terminal work will make airports open to everyone. Greater access means ADA compliant restrooms and even relief areas for service animals.

The bottom line is that the Biden Administration, the DOT and the FAA have a great deal of love for this state and for Virginia aviation. 

And working together, we will take the Commonwealth’s airports to the next level of safety and efficiency. 

Thank you for listening and have an excellent conference!
 

The White House Summit on Advanced Air Mobility

Thanks, Alex [Macgillivray]. Good morning, everyone. 

I’d like to start off by thanking our colleagues here at the White House, specifically the Office of Science and Technology Policy, for convening this summit. 

It’s an honor to be here with our federal partners and members of industry to discuss the evolution and safe integration of drones and Advanced Air Mobility into our National Airspace.

Sixty-years ago – when President Kennedy sat in the Oval Office – the idea of futurism picked up speed. 

The jet age began. The space race was underway. And the idea of flying cars created an impression in many people’s minds while inspiring a generation.

Many years have passed, but the notion of flying cars never left America’s imagination. 

And as we’ve been discussing this morning, this idea will be realized.

We’re here today to take another step forward. Advanced Air Mobility – or AAM – is the next addition to the world of aviation. 

AAM has the potential to achieve the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision to enable more transportation options that are more efficient, more sustainable, and more equitable, while creating thousands of great jobs in the process.

If the public is not confident in their safety, then the benefits may never be realized.

Today, flying is safer than any other mode of transportation in history. That’s not by chance. It’s because the FAA has and continues to work closely with the aviation community to ensure safety is always the top consideration.

When it comes to exciting new technologies such as AAM, our mission is to constantly advance our outstanding level of safety, without stifling the innovators. We aim to be a gateway, not a hurdle. 

That’s why the FAA has a comprehensive integration strategy for drones and AAM. I want to thank our federal partners – like NASA, Homeland Security, Defense, and other agencies who are working with us to ensure the success of this strategy.

We’re also working with the AAM industry to develop consensus safety standards for these technologies.

Let’s start by discussing drones.

More than 860,000 drones are registered today in the United States. To put this into context, that’s more than three times as many crewed aircraft. 

By 2025, we could have a total of more than 2.6 million commercial and recreational drones flying in our airspace, according to FAA forecasts.

It’s critical that we have a standard set of rules for operations beyond visual line of sight – or BVLOS, as we call it – where you no longer have eyes on the drone. This would enable operations for things like routine package deliveries, infrastructure inspections and agriculture spraying and inspection. 

We’re working closely with the drone community to make these kinds of operations routine, scalable and economically viable. As you can image, this is a huge collaborative effort.

We just heard from the Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. As part of an integration program called BEYOND, we’re working with them, and numerous other organizations—including states like Kansas, North Dakota, North Carolina, the city of Reno, Nevada and others—to understand the ups and downs of BVLOS.

Through BEYOND, we’re able to learn about and address state and local government concerns about drone operations – concerns related to safety, security, noise, and privacy, to name a few.

And we’re also partnering with more than 20 companies to safely advance complex drone operational capabilities. 

For instance, we’re working with Xcel Energy to conduct inspections of their power transmission lines.

These partnerships help us to identify and mitigate safety hazards in a way that allows the industry to gain experience and develop industry consensus standards.  

And the FAA is currently reviewing recently-received recommendations from an aviation rulemaking committee on how to enable safe, routine, BVLOS operations. 

All of these efforts are enabling us to execute an integration strategy for new airspace entrants in which the more complex or higher risk the operation, the higher the level of safety that needs to be achieved. 

Simply put, that means that aircraft operations that carry people are going to require a higher level of performance and oversight than those that don’t carry people – period. 

And that brings us to the concept of Advanced Air Mobility.

Through AAM, we could potentially see electric powered air taxis land in your city, and transport you across town or maybe to the airport in just minutes, whereas the same trip by car would have taken much longer.

AAM aircraft could also be used to transport large cargo, or help with firefighting, air ambulance and search & rescue operations.

And AAM could eventually be a more equitable form of transportation, as it has the potential to connect underserved and rural communities with larger cities. This could be especially beneficial for communities that are reliant on aviation, like in Alaska.

And because these vehicles would be electric-powered, they could offer a more sustainable method of transportation.

This technology is on its way. In fact, two companies expect to earn FAA certification of their vehicles as early as 2024.

We’ve received many proposals for a diverse set of AAM concepts. Some have pilots on board the aircraft, some are remotely piloted, and sometimes the aircraft is autonomous.

We’re looking at every aspect of this enterprise – the vehicle itself, the framework for operations, access to the airspace, operator training, infrastructure development, and community engagement.

In other words, it’s not just about air taxis. It’s also about everything necessary to support air taxi flights. 

As these vehicles are being developed, the FAA is working to establish operational rules and pilot training standards. And we’re looking at how to best integrate these new vehicles into the national airspace system.

We’re modifying our regulatory approach to enable powered lift operations including the certification of powered-lift vehicles and the pilots who operate them. 

Longer term, the agency plans to continue to develop permanent regulations to safely enable powered-lift operations and pilot training and certification.

AAM also has unique qualities compared to traditional aviation. So we must also think differently. 

For example, aircraft pilots are traditionally required to communicate with air traffic controllers. But what if the software that enables an autonomous vehicle to remain aloft also allows it to safely separate itself from other aircraft?

As with all aspects of aviation that came before, this new era will be an evolution, where advancement to the next step will be based on safety. As safety regulators, it is the job of the FAA and its counterparts around the world to help ensure that innovation doesn’t come at the expense of safety.

We must see safety as an enabler, because nothing will ground these innovations faster than incidents or accidents.

And just like with drones, we are learning about and addressing local community concerns about AAM operations in and around metropolitan areas.

For this effort, we’re engaging with state, local, and tribal governments and communities. 

One of our initiatives is working with NASA on a national campaign to help communities learn about AAM. We’ve been testing AAM concepts, and collecting data in areas like automated flight plan communications, BVLOS, traffic avoidance, trajectory management and approach to landing and takeoff areas.

There’s a lot of work to do to move toward AAM integration and we will need a broad collection of voices at the table. We encourage communities to get involved now, while we’re in these early phases, and we need to continue to hear from industry, many of whom are represented here today.

We’re also reaching out globally. Many of the players seeking to operate AAM in the U.S. are also seeking to operate in other countries.

So, the FAA is working with civil aviation authorities from other nations to explore how we can harmonize our integration strategies.

Two weeks ago, I was in the U.K. meeting with aviation officials in government and industry throughout the world.

And I was encouraged to see that several American and British manufacturers of AAM vehicles are moving through their home country’s certification process and now asking their American or U.K. counterpart for validation.

We’re working to establish these processes. One example is a group called the National Aviation Authorities Network, which is a partnership involving the FAA, the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Through this group, we’re looking at how we might align our certification processes and standards for AAM aircraft. And we’re eager to work with other nations so we can exchange expertise and share progress with each other. 

Just a short time ago, the idea of having prescription medication airlifted to your front door during a pandemic or taking a flying car to the airport was the stuff of science fiction.

Today, there is a real chance that these technologies could become a daily reality. 

This industry is writing and rewriting the history of aviation in real time, and we have the opportunity to lay the foundation for the decade ahead while inspiring the next generation.   

We must continue to work together – across government and industry and with our international partners – to ensure that these technologies are safe and sustainable.

Then and only then, will they live up to their promise. 

Thank you.

Families of Continental Flight 3407 Plaque Dedication Ceremony

Dear friends, welcome to our FAA headquarters and thank you for making this event possible. There is no question that you—the Families of Continental Flight 3407–have brought about a seismic shift in the aviation safety landscape.

Your work is an important reminder that progress often comes because citizens take a stand, not only to honor their loved ones, but also to help other Americans avoid such profound loss and grief.

The work you began in 2009 with Congress and the FAA has changed the way pilots are hired, trained, monitored and cared for, as well as for how airlines proactively identify, and address, hazards and risks. That is an astounding amount of action in any day and age, much less this one.

This plaque will be a constant reminder to everyone who passes by, that aviation safety is about much more than the physics of the machine that lifts us, or the technology that guides us—It is the promise we make to the mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers of those who travel by air, that we have done everything humanly possible to keep them safe. 

That is our commitment, one that we will reaffirm each and every day

Thank you for coming and thank you for all you do. 

Families of Continental Flight 3407 Plaque Dedication Ceremony

Hello everyone and thank you for the opportunity to recognize and honor what the Families of Continental 3407 have done to make air travel safer. 

We see in your achievements, the power of family, friends and community to bring about real and enduring change. 

Your work is a tribute to those who came before, and to those who have followed…

….I’m thinking about the families of Pan Am 103, who in 1990 brought about changes to aviation security. Or the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 families, who spurred the overhaul for how we certify commercial aircraft. 

In each case, families and friends, driven to action, selflessly rose up to make aviation safer for American travelers, and for people all around the world. 

Together, you have progressively strengthened the safety net that protects us, and for that, we owe you a great debt of gratitude.

While I don’t know if completing what you started so many years ago, brings with it a sense of closure, I do hope that you take comfort in knowing that you’ve made a difference for the families of travelers everywhere.

Your hard work and dedication has increased the margins of safety in our aviation system. And that makes the journey all the more safe.  

Thank you again, for all you’ve accomplished. 

How Does That Work? The FAA’s Safety Role in Airline Mergers

Every U.S. airline has an FAA-issued operating certificate. A merger combines all aspects of two airlines’ operations into a new entity under a single operating certificate. Before the FAA issues a single certificate, the merged airline must demonstrate that...

Request for Comments in Minimum Seat Dimensions Necessary for Safety of Air Passengers (Emergency Evacuation)

The FAA will seek public comment on the minimum seat dimensions necessary for airline passenger safety.  The 90-day public comment period will open when the document is published in the Federal Register. Stay tuned to this page and our social media feeds for more...