Advanced Air Mobility 2025

Introduction: Pursuing the large-scale implementation of AAM The aviation sector is entering a new innovation area as a result of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) developments. AAM allows for new use cases in passenger transport (e.g. point-to-point shuttles and medical evacuation), cargo transport (e.g. heavy air cargo and last-mile parcel delivery) and other services (e.g. inspection and maintenance).1 The AAM term is used by the industry to encompass the deployment of many different types of vehicles, from smaller drones to larger electric aircraft such as vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and short take-off and landing (STOL) craft. These vehicles are innovating the aviation sector in different ways, including in relation to their autonomy capabilities and novel propulsion systems. All combined, the market for AAM is projected to grow significantly, with estimates suggesting it could reach close to $80 billion by 2034.2 The expected AAM market growth is driven by the need for efficient, sustainable and rapid transportation solutions, both in increasingly congested urban environments and in underserved suburban and rural areas where infrastructure is limited. Although AAM is still in its early stages, the momentum is real. Some segments of the AAM industry, particularly drone applications, are starting to transition from an early emerging phase into a growth phase. Globally, there are hundreds of drone pilot projects in the deployment phase, some of which have moved from the pilot phase into regular operations. Other AAM segments, despite the fact that they are in earlier stages of their development, are also garnering increasing attention, as this is the point at which substantial investment is required to build the necessary infrastructure and capabilities and to ensure that the rigorous and demanding certification standards of the aviation sector will allow their deployment. Looking back, traditional aviation also began slowly – initially serving only a narrow set of applications – before becoming one of the cornerstones of the global economy. The past aviation timeline and lessons learned, as well as initial lessons from drone implementations, can help diverse AAM segments to pursue their expected potential. To this end, this white paper focuses on three key critical points for AAM implementation: –First, aligning on a north star for responsible AAM implementation. This involves examining what responsibility means in the context of AAM and establishing the principles to guide this process. A responsible vision and mission for the industry is also important for unlocking social acceptance of this incipient technology. This is discussed in Section 1. –Second, understanding the current priorities of the different stakeholders along the value chain and identifying enabling actions to enable their success. The strong interdependencies among stakeholders require collaboration across stakeholders, from authorities to investors, and from OEMs to operators. This is discussed in Section 2. –Third, analysing lessons learned from early drone deployments. They serve as valuable insights for larger drone deployments, as well as for early pilots in other AAM segments with larger aircraft types. Lessons learned are primarily derived from societal use cases and highlight both the relevance of these applications as well as the complexity of implementation in real-world environments. This is discussed in Section 3. Taken together, these three points set the foundation for responsible and successful AAM implementation as the vision of having drones and other AAM vehicles implemented at a large scale becomes more tangible. Moreover, the rapid advances in technology and the growing demand for innovative transportation solutions underscore the urgency to act now.Advanced Air Mobility, although still in its emerging phase, is expected to evolve into a substantial and transformative industry. Advanced Air Mobility: Paving the Way to Responsible Implementation 5