The Importance of VAI Advocacy
How VAI advocacy is impacting the future of vertical aviation.
By Bailey Wood
Vertical Aviation International (VAI) stands at the center of a dynamic and rapidly evolving sector that encompasses helicopter manufacturers, operators, suppliers, and the growing field of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft. As the voice of this diverse industry, VAI’s commitment to advocacy is not just beneficial but critical. This article explores why advocacy is indispensable for VAI members to navigate regulatory landscapes, drive industry innovation, and secure a sustainable future in vertical flight.
Navigating Complex Regulatory Environments
The vertical aviation industry operates within one of the most heavily regulated sectors globally. These regulations evolve as technology, public policy, and societal expectations change. VAI’s advocacy efforts are vital in shaping these regulations to ensure they are conducive to industry growth while maintaining the highest standards of safety and efficiency. By actively participating in the regulatory process, VAI works with regulators to craft realistic, achievable, and beneficial rules, aligning operational and manufacturing guidelines with current and future capabilities.
Protecting and Investing in Infrastructure
VAI is deeply involved with preserving and encouraging investment in vertical aviation infrastructure because these efforts are fundamental to the industry’s growth. Robust infrastructure supports the safe and efficient operation of vertical flight operations, including helicopters and AAM aircraft like electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This infrastructure is not only vital for current operations, such as disaster response, but also crucial for fostering innovation, attracting investment, and ultimately shaping the future of global mobility.
Promoting Industry Growth and Sustainability
VAI’s advocacy is crucial for promoting the growth and sustainability of the vertical aviation sector. The association’s efforts to communicate the economic and social benefits of vertical flight to policymakers and the public can lead to supportive government policies, including funding for technological research and infrastructure development. For the emerging advanced air mobility segment, VAI’s advocacy is particularly critical in securing a regulatory framework to allow for AAM’s potential, encompassing everything from urban air mobility solutions to long-range eVTOL aircraft.
Fostering Innovation and Technology Adoption
As new technologies transform vertical flight, advocacy ensures innovation stays at the forefront of industry evolution. VAI plays a key role in advocating for laws and regulations that promote the advancement and implementation of new technologies safely and efficiently into the national airspace. By representing the industry’s interests, VAI can work with regulators and other stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of next-generation technologies, such as improved safety systems, autonomous flight systems, and powerplant technologies including electric and hydrogen fuel cell. Such progress is essential for the industry’s ongoing competitiveness and relevance.
Enhancing Safety and Public Confidence
Safety is paramount in aviation. VAI’s advocacy of safety is accomplished by serving on international and US regulatory and standards groups and contributing to the ongoing safety dialogue to ensure that all vertical-capable aircraft are represented in the world’s airspace. This global dialogue is critical as VAI engages with lawmakers to educate them about the unique capabilities of vertical aviation aircraft, which require tailored safety practices for the execution of each different mission set. VAI also collaborates with regulatory agencies to move aviation safety forward. By promoting these high safety standards and the industry’s commitment to upholding them, VAI plays an essential role in bolstering public confidence in vertical aviation, particularly in newer sectors such as AAM.
Building Strategic Alliances and Partnerships
VAI’s advocacy extends beyond interfacing with governments and regulators. Advocacy cannot be done in a vacuum, and coalitions and partnerships are critical, not only for uniting the industry but in achieving meaningful results in our advocacy work. Our partnership outreach involves building strategic alliances with global stakeholders to develop harmonized standards, share best practices, and leverage our strengths to advance the entire industry.
In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and regulatory challenges, VAI has notably enhanced its scope and influence through a proactive approach to advocacy and policy engagement. The organization’s strategic initiatives have fostered significant advancements, particularly within the governmental realm, ensuring the protection and growth of the vertical aviation industry.
International Outreach and Collaboration
Always with a watchful eye on the global industry, VAI continues to strengthen its partnerships and collaboration with standards and regulatory organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). As an example, to raise the visibility and representation of the global vertical aviation industry at ICAO, what was once known as the International Federation of Helicopter Associations (IFHA) was transitioned to, and is now recognized as, VAI. Efforts like this aim to unite the international vertical aviation community through an effective governance model for regional associations and with the foundational goal to achieve harmonized standards and safety protocols.
Strategic Legislative Engagements
Early in the year, VAI engaged with the US Congress on the pivotal 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act. VAI collaborated extensively with legislators to ensure that the bill includes measures to effectively tackle the shortage of pilots and maintenance technicians, streamline regulatory processes to facilitate the advancement of AAM, and implement policies to support and promote vertical aviation. Overall, these initiatives will strengthen our industry and foster innovation and efficiency.
Additionally, VAI has been at the forefront of advocating for streamlined regulatory processes to facilitate the advancement of AAM and support policies promoting vertical aviation.
Regulatory Achievements
VAI’s collaboration with the FAA has led to significant regulatory achievements. In late 2024, the agency issued a revised policy for the harnesses used for fall protection by utility line workers when performing human external cargo (HEC) operations. This decision ensures uniformity, enhances safety, and promotes operational compliance with existing local, state, and federal safety rules.
VAI urged the FAA to adopt the nationally recognized standard for HEC harnesses to address discrepancies between FAA and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulations for full-body harnesses. Previously, these differences created a fragmented operational framework, posing significant compliance challenges for operators and utilities alike.
As we share the skies with unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), we must safeguard all low-altitude (<500 ft. agl) airspace users. Soon, the FAA will issue rules for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations of UASs. This is a policy area that we are monitoring closely.
VAI fully supports integrating UASs into the national airspace, and we are committed to ensuring that these operations reach their full potential in a safe and organized manner. We have made it clear that we support performance-based standards that deconflict the airspace. To do so, aircraft, no matter the size, must be able to detect one another (either visually or through technology) and avoid one another. Long-established right-of-way rules set a clear hierarchy that all aircraft follow. All pilots are responsible for a safe flying environment.
The FAA recently introduced a new rule to support the next wave of air mobility in the United States. The Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) on powered-lift pilot certification and operation details the qualifications and training requirements for pilots and instructors of powered-lift aircraft, such as air taxis and cargo drones. It creates a new category for these vehicles and sets the foundation for their safe inclusion in the US National Airspace System. Due to the precedence of international civil aviation authorities following the FAA’s lead, this policy is expected to have global effects.
The SFAR simplifies certification for pilots of powered-lift aircraft, particularly those aircraft with single pilot controls, as part of a new framework to aid the first group of these pilots and instructors. Following feedback from VAI, the FAA has adopted a flexible, performance-based approach to some operational rules, enhancing the efficiency of powered-lift operations. The rule also updates several regulations, including changes to practical tests for aircraft requiring type ratings, and revises training standards for rotorcraft instructors and training centers.
VAI members are instrumental in advancing air mobility, and this new FAA regulation provides the essential guidelines for safely integrating these innovative aircraft into the airspace.
Protecting Air Tour Operators
A critical area of VAI’s advocacy has been protecting the interests of air tour operators. With the FAA and National Park Service implementing air tour management plans (ATMPs), VAI has remained vigilant against further bureaucratic overreach to restrict airspace access to the national parks.
VAI is critically concerned not only about the transparency of the process used by the FAA and the National Park Service (NPS) to draft ATMPs, but also about the operational safety, economic impacts, and public access restrictions imposed by the ATMPs. Top concerns include:
Industry’s voice excluded. The agencies did not include the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group (NPOAG), a group established by the National Park Air Tour Management Act of 2000 so that crucial stakeholders, including general aviation and commercial tour operators, could provide advice and counsel with respect to commercial air tour operations over and near national parks.
Access to airspace at risk. The ATMPs limit or eliminate helicopter operators’ access to airspace over national parks, setting a precedent for other agencies or government bodies to challenge access to airspace in other settings.
Operational safety in jeopardy. Without input from the NPOAG into the development process, the ATMPs produced by the NPS and FAA include many safety-of-flight concerns.
Unexamined economic impact. The ATMPs for some parks eliminate ALL air tours; others cut air tours by 50% or more, making air tour businesses economically unfeasible. Yet the NPS and the FAA failed to sufficiently account for the economic impact on commercial air tour operators, their employees and vendors, and the communities in which they live and work.
Loss of a workforce pipeline. The air tour industry provides a vital workforce pipeline to the rest of the vertical aviation industry. Our entire rotorcraft ecosystem—which is already struggling with a shortage of skilled personnel—will be impacted by the loss of jobs in the air tour sector.
Unequal public access. By eliminating or severely reducing air tours, the NPS and the FAA are discriminating against all those who choose to experience US national parks through aerial sightseeing, including seniors, the young, and persons with disabilities. A one-size-fits-all ideology is not how we should decide how the public can visit their national parks.
State and Local Advocacy Successes
At the state and local levels, VAI has been instrumental in safeguarding airspace and infrastructure. Notable successes include legally challenging Hawaii Act 311, which imposed undue reporting burdens on air tour operators in court. VAI’s victory in this case set a precedent affirming federal jurisdiction over airspace, which has implications beyond Hawaii, providing a deterrent against state overreach in aviation regulation.
In addition to legal victories, VAI’s grassroots efforts led to the preservation of the West 30th Street Heliport in New York City, a vital infrastructure for the city’s vertical aviation operations. This campaign, led by VAI Northeastern US Regional Representative Josh Rousseau, mobilized over 96,000 emails to legislators, showcasing the power of community engagement in advocacy.
Continuous Advocacy and Updates
VAI keeps its members and stakeholders well informed through biweekly updates via its online VTOL Advocate newsletter, covering all pertinent government relations activities. This consistent communication ensures that all involved parties are aligned and can actively participate in shaping the industry’s future.
Future Directions
VAI continues to develop and engage on various advocacy initiatives. Recent activities include opposition to restrictive legislation in New York City and other state capitals, engagement with Congress, and involvement in international regulatory discussions that will shape the future of vertical flight globally.
VAI remains dedicated to advancing the vertical aviation industry through robust advocacy, strategic policy engagement, and active participation in regulatory processes. By continuing to influence policy and regulation at all levels, VAI ensures that the vertical aviation community is well positioned to meet future challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Bailey Wood is VAI’s director of strategic communications.