When will AAM be here?

More types of aircraft entering the skies this decade will make it more difficult for human air traffic controllers to ensure safety at all times. Air traffic controllers are collaborating with aircraft builders and operators to understand how airspace management needs to change to continue to maintain aircraft safely for everyone, though every nation is taking different approaches.

Today, building hundreds of aircraft to the same level of safety and ensuring they maintain that level of safety through its entire life is an immense challenge that has been tackled well by the industry to date. New companies with new, smaller aircraft say they intend to manufacture these aircraft in the thousands, yet plenty of discussion remains as to how these aircraft will all be certified to get off the ground safely this decade.

Many people worry that future aircraft may only serve the upper classes. CAAM feels strongly that the first uses should be places where the advantage of flying serves a strong societal benefit, such as in emergency and medical situations. Discussions are ongoing as to who and how these new aircraft will benefit our communities.

Every part of this new industry is being designed with noise in mind, but no one can say for sure how it will impact the communities these new aircraft will serve. Our national regulator, Transport Canada, is paying close attention to the benefits and concerns of people who may benefit or be impacted by these services as they discuss how they choose to consider the rules for allowing them into their communities.

Aviation has a long history of ensuring safety, and they are taking the transition to autonomy of aircraft in the sky very seriously. Using a staged approach, many authorities are seeing the first step as having very experienced pilots operate smaller aircraft from the ground in limited test situations. Increasingly larger aircraft will be tested in increasingly complex airspace until someday, you may be flying on an aircraft without a pilot on board.

Transport Canada is a government organization that sets the rules and regulations to ensure the safety of the skies. NAV CANADA is a privately held non-for-profit responsible for managing the airspace safely based on the rules set by Transport Canada. These two groups work closely together to maintain some of the safest airspace in the world, and adapt to the changes that are coming for aviation.

New aircraft go through heavy testing before they can take off, and even more testing before they can be used by a business. While there are many steps, at the most basic level an aircraft must prove that it can safely fly(known as an “Airworthiness Certificate”) and when builders are ready to make many of these aircraft, they must prove that every aircraft built also meets these standards (known as a “Manufacturer's Certificate”). There are many steps between and after, Discussion is ongoing whether any changes are needed for these new types of aircraft to ensure the safety of everyone.

Today, aviation is managed at the national level with groups such as Transport Canada and NAV Canada. With these new aircraft being able to serve new places including within and around cities, local governments are beginning to engage in the conversation around how and where these aircraft should be used to maximize value for their communities while minimizing impacts.