Executive summary Advanced air mobility (AAM) is spearheading innovative new technology in the aviation industry. Despite a strong history of automation, the sector is yet to create a clear taxonomy towards full autonomy, which is necessary for all stakeholders to agree on the required standards and regulations. This white paper supports a spectrum of human in-, on- and over-the-loop, with increasing levels of remote control and numbers of vehicles handled even as direct human intervention and responsibility for all operations decreases. Application opportunities for AAM are manifold across passenger and non-passenger (goods and services) transport clusters. Use cases thereby stretch across various geographic expansions, from urban to regional. Behind respective operationalization, two driving stakeholder groups can be differentiated: private (pure commercial focus) and public-private (societal focus with commercial viability as the baseline). To initially adopt and later scale these opportunities, three categories of enablers are vital: social acceptance, operational feasibility and financial viability. The degree of importance of each category of enablers depends on the use case. For the development of passenger-related use cases, social acceptance is most crucial. Non-passenger applications will thrive through financial viability best achieved by increased levels of automation. AAM adoption is expected to benefit various industries (e.g. healthcare: high speed, better coverage and accessibility); different geographies (e.g. remote areas: better accessibility and lower risk in dangerous surroundings); and people (e.g. (sub)urban transit: faster, increased convenience and more pedestrian space). Some use cases are already being piloted in confined regulatory sandboxes designed to test and derive best practices for the mid-term. Nevertheless, the ecosystem is not yet ready for large-scale adoption. More cohesive regulations need to be put in place to certify vehicles and autonomous operations. Digital infrastructure needs to be developed to orchestrate seamless airspace operations, while wider physical infrastructure build- up is required to integrate AAM into the existing transport infrastructure. Looking ahead, AAM will democratize and enable higher degrees of automation for commercial aviation. Yet, many obstacles are yet to be overcome on the road to wider adoption and autonomy. The industry will benefit from implementation roadmaps that accelerate the roll- out of AAM, enabling a more prosperous future for the sector and for society as a whole. Advanced Air Mobility: Shaping the Future of Aviation 4

Advanced Air Mobility 2024