Taking to the Skies: What to Expect in the Advanced Air Mobility Sector in 2026

Advanced air mobility (AAM) represents an emerging sector dedicated to the safe and efficient integration of highly automated aircraft into national airspace. AAM is an umbrella concept, encompassing a range of innovations, including new and increasingly automated aircraft types powered by new technologies, such as electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft and operating below 5,000 feet. The AAM ecosystem requires modern support systems, including a skilled workforce, upgraded infrastructure, and clear regulatory frameworks. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates that the US aviation industry currently supports $1.8 trillion in economic activity and 4% of GDP, with AAM poised to reshape transportation, cargo, and connectivity for rural and urban communities alike.

The US administration is focused on accelerating framework to get the AAM sector off the ground, beginning with a series of related executive orders released in June 2025. 2026 represents a critical inflection point between the framework building phase of the last decade and the operational readiness for the integration of AAM into the national airspace—with development, operational, and economic impacts across the AAM ecosystem.

Development of the National Advanced Air Mobility Strategy

As part of the 2022 Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, DOT convened an interagency working group to develop a concrete strategy for the next decade. The working group included 25 federal agencies and over 100 experts. In December 2025, the Department unveiled the first National Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Strategy, marking a pivotal milestone in the evolution of American aviation policy. The new framework, and its corresponding Comprehensive Plan, sets forth a coordinated roadmap to accelerate integration of AAM into US airspace.

The AAM Strategy, which emphasizes the importance of regulatory clarity, infrastructure modernization, and workforce development as prerequisites for successful AAM integration, sets forth 40 recommendations organized around seven foundational pillars: Airspace Modernization, Advanced Infrastructure, Adaptive Security, Community Planning and Engagement, Ready Workforce, Applied Automation, and Overarching Recommendations.

The accompanying action plan outlines four strategic phases, collectively termed “LIFT,” to guide implementation:

• Leverage existing programs to support innovation and begin operations by harnessing current aviation programs and regulatory frameworks to foster innovation and enable initial AAM deployments.
• Initiate engagement with partners, research and development, and smart planning by collaborating with stakeholders—including federal agencies, industry, and local communities—to advance research, development, and coordinated planning for AAM adoption.
• Forge new policy and models responsive to public needs by creating adaptable regulatory and operational models that address evolving public needs, safety, and security concerns.
• Transform the aviation ecosystem by transforming aviation infrastructure, workforce, and operational paradigms to fully integrate AAM technologies nationwide.

The launch of the National AAM Strategy carries significant legal and business implications for the AAM sector, infrastructure providers, technology companies, and communities. This includes the need for proactive regulatory and compliance programs; the assessment of infrastructure needs to meet growing AAM demand; consideration for workforce requirements to design, build, and operate AAM aircraft; and stakeholder collaboration via strategic partnerships, joint ventures, research initiatives, and public–private partnerships to accelerate deployment and adoption.

The EIPP Program

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is targeting an early 2026 launch for the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which will allow state and local governments to apply to run flight testing programs in partnership with private AAM developers. Established by the June 2025 executive order, the eIPP will cover the broad spectrum of eVTOL use cases, including short range air taxis, novel cargo aircraft, and logistics and supply services. Data gathered from this program will be instrumental in developing integrated safety standards, certification pathways, and integrating eVTOL in public airspace.

As part of the eIPP, the FAA will enter into public-private partnership agreements between the FAA and selected State, Local, Tribal, or Territorial (SLTT) governments with US private-sector partners with demonstrated experience in AAM/eVTOL and aircraft type certification. Participants receive no federal funding, and the program will run for three years after the first project is operational.

Proposals will be evaluated on a number of factors, including the following:

• Economic and geographic representation
• Strength of partnership model
• Operations scope, diversity, and technical/operational detail.
• Policy/regulatory insight potential
• Aircraft and operational readiness
• Support for operations

The application period closed in December, and the FAA is anticipated to announce its selection of at least five pilot projects in March 2026, with operations to begin within 90 days—as early as summer 2026.

Sector Growth in the Middle East

While the US and Europe continue to make strides in advanced eVTOL operations and policy, the Middle East—specifically the United Arab Emirates—has emerged as a hotbed for the sector. In July 2025, the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) released a regulatory framework for hybrid operations, which enables eVTOL and conventional helicopters to operate within the same infrastructure.

The framework essentially creates the legal and operational rulebook for air taxis in the UAE: who can operate them, how aircraft get certified, how infrastructure is shared with existing helicopter operations, and how eVTOLs will coexist safely with other aircraft in UAE airspace. The “hybrid” innovation is specifically the dual-use infrastructure piece, which no other regulator had formally addressed before.

Abu Dhabi inaugurated the UAE's first operational vertiport in 2024. With the new regulatory framework, both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have implemented test flight programs for key industry players while the UAE has already begun mapping air corridors and vertiport networks and how they might integrate with existing systems. Efforts include developing dedicated air corridors, constructing vertiports at strategic locations, and establishing standards for urban air traffic. These initiatives aim to make the UAE a top destination for innovation and, importantly, an early provider of commercial eVTOL services.

In 2026, we expect AAM developments in the Middle East to flourish due to the region’s supportive regulatory landscape and growing eVTOL investments by manufacturers and operators alike. The UAE is uniquely positioned to set global standards for passenger operations, which authorities have signaled will launch on a limited basis in 2026, as inter-emirate air taxi links between Abu Dhabi and Dubai could cut travel time to 30 minutes. As stakeholders flock to the region and in the absence of a harmonized, global framework, manufacturers and operators must take steps to ensure compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

Conclusion

2026 promises to be a year of groundbreaking development for the AAM sector as the levers of regulations, and strategic partnerships converge to make the vision of flying cars a commercial reality. As the sector expands in the coming year, it remains more important than ever for stakeholders to have a firm grasp of the global legal and compliance landscape.