During a December 2025 hearing on the state of the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry, Aviation Subcommittee Chair Troy Nehls framed the situation as a critical decision point for the U.S.: either embrace new technology to capture an industry projected to reach $115 billion annually by 2035 and create over 280,000 jobs, or risk falling behind other nations.
Nehls acknowledged the industry’s progress, citing new regulatory frameworks like the powered-lift Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) and the new e-VTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), even though no AAM aircraft has yet received its type certificate. He emphasized that the long-term integration of AAM, which will rely on increasing levels of autonomy, necessitates a fundamental modernization of the National Airspace System and Air Traffic Control to accommodate these new aircraft classes and operational methods from the outset.
