The Federal Aviation Administration has introduced a new powered-lift safety continuum for eVTOL aircraft in the United States, dropping an earlier proposal that would have further split certification requirements by whether an aircraft carries passengers for hire. The change brings FAA policy closer to its conventional aircraft approach and further away from Europe’s EASA framework, affecting developers including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies.
Under the revised system, powered-lift aircraft are grouped into four certification levels based on maximum passenger seating and gross weight, with safety objectives rising with aircraft size rather than commercial use. The FAA’s previous draft had treated passenger-for-hire operations as a separate factor, a structure that industry observers had viewed as more closely aligned with EASA’s “basic” and “enhanced” operational categories.
The shift may force manufacturers seeking approvals on both sides of the Atlantic to run separate certification strategies for the U.S. and European markets. That could raise compliance costs and complicate development schedules, commercial launch planning and cross-border programme coordination for winged eVTOLs and other powered-lift aircraft.