FutureFlight On The Radar
Latest FAA Heliport Guidance Does Not Include Vertiports For eVTOL Aircraft
The U.S. air safety agency says that for now the advanced air mobility sector should consult with its Office of Airports and Flight Standards.

The FAA has issued its new and long-awaited heliport planning, design, and construction Advisory Circular 150/5390-2D that provides largely voluntary guidance to the rotorcraft community. This new AC supersedes previously issued guidance from 2012. The U.S. aviation regulator notes that “the standards and guidelines contained in this AC are practices the FAA recommends for establishing an acceptable level of safety, performance, and operation for heliports.”

However, significantly, the document does not cover eVTOL aircraft operations or the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector generally. Rather, the FAA notes that it is “developing guidance for vertiports that would be intended for VTOL and/or unmanned aircraft. Until that guidance is published, entities developing operating sites for new aircraft entrants are encouraged to work with the FAA Office of Airports and Flight Standards on applicable design, operational, and safety criteria tailored to the performance of aircraft which intend to operate at those facilities.”