FAA Updates Vertiport Design Standards for eVTOL Aircraft | Aviation International News

FAA Updates Vertiport Design Standards for eVTOL Aircraft

Revised engineering brief seeks to harmonize eVTOL and helicopter infrastructure standards

Illustration of a vertiport facility with eVTOL aircraft — The FAA published the finalized version of Engineering Brief No. 105A: “Vertiport Design, Supplemental Guidance to Advisory Circular 150/5390-2D, Heliport Design” on Dec. 27, 2024.

By Hanneke Weitering • Science & Technology Editor

January 15, 2025

The FAA has updated its guidelines for the design of vertiport facilities where eVTOL aircraft will be able to take off and land. Changes to the FAA document reflect the agency’s desire to harmonize guidance on eVTOL vertiports with its existing heliport design standards—a pivot driven by industry pressure, FAA officials acknowledged during a virtual “industry day” event on January 14.

Two years after the FAA published its initial vertiport design guidance in Engineering Brief (EB) No. 105, the U.S. air safety agency published a revised draft—dubbed EB 105A—to the Federal Register in September and requested feedback from the industry. After garnering more than 500 public comments, the FAA implemented substantial changes and quietly published a final version online on December 27.

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