Making predictions and rankings in almost any aspect of human endeavor is not necessarily an assured path to winning friends, but it certainly can be a way to influence people. As the maddeningly unpredictable year of 2020 drew to a close, SMG Consulting demonstrated the fortitude to attempt both with the unveiling of its new Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index (ARI) and its Top Five Predictions list for the industry in 2021.
The ARI is a rating tool that Arizona-based SMG is using to assess the prospects of the companies trying to certify aircraft and bring them to market in large numbers. The consulting firm uses a proprietary formula to assess publicly available information about the new programs, assessing five key elements: the funding a company has, the caliber of its leadership team, the technological readiness of each vehicle, progress achieved towards type certification, and readiness to begin full-scale production.
