FutureFlight On The Radar
Industry Responds to FAA Draft Engineering Brief on Vertiport Design
Stakeholder consultations on FAA proposals for vertiport and vertistop design standards is due to close on April 18, and a final engineering brief could be ready in June.

Around 100 industry stakeholders gathered this week at Helicopter Association International’s Heli-Expo show in Dallas to review and comment on the FAA’s recently released draft engineering brief for a vertiport and vertistop design standard. The brief will eventually produce an FAA advisory circular for vertiports.

Rex Alexander, principal of the heliport/vertiport consultancy Five Alpha, told AIN following the gathering that he believes this AC will be published no earlier than 2024, “but it is anybody’s guess” as to the timing. With companies expecting to inaugurate eVTOL passenger service by 2025, “we are on a pretty tight timeline” to provide feedback and impact the FAA standard, he added. That standard is critical for harmonizing constituent parts, including national fire protection standards, local building codes, and insurance requirements.