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(Urban Air Mobility News) – The transportation and economic ministries of the Japanese government revised its roadmap for commercial advanced air mobility (AAM) operations to start in late next year or in 2028, with autonomous AAM operations in the early 2030s.

Local operators joined aviation safety regulators, international experts, and representatives of Airbus Helicopters and Loft Dynamics for a Safety First in the Himalayas roadshow that started Feb. 24–25 and ran through Mar. 25. The roadshow trained Airbus H125 operators using a Loft Dynamics virtual reality (VR) simulator.

Vertical Aerospace has selected Italian company Isoclima Group to supply the transparency suite, including the pilot and passenger canopies and glazing system, for its Valo electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

This European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) airworthiness directive (AD), ATA 25 – Equipment and Furnishings – Life Raft/Safety Pin – Operational Restriction/Inspection, takes effect Apr. 2.

In recognition of National Doctors’ Day in the United States on Mar. 30, the air medical operator is highlighting Phil Moy and John Wilmas, two medical directors and physicians who helped expand the Air Methods Prehospital Education (AMPED) podcast into a global platform for clinical education.

VAI welcomes the passage of the bipartisan Airspace Location and Enhanced Risk Transparency (ALERT) Act of 2026 by the US House of Representatives. The move marks a significant step toward implementing safety recommendations issued by the National Transportation Safety Board following the Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA).

Learn more about the 38 operators, manufacturers, and suppliers that became members of VAI last month.

Miss VERTICON 2026 in Atlanta? Watch VAI President and CEO François Lassale’s March message to see the electric atmosphere at the show and how it provided momentum for the association’s first international safety event, the 2026 VAI Southeast Asia Aviation Safety Conference, which takes place in Bali, Indonesia, May 27–29.

(Associated Press) – An air tour helicopter went down Mar. 26 on a remote beach in Kauai, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to two.

Air medical pilots face intense, fast-paced solo missions in which risk analysis and safety programs are key to safe, lifesaving operations. The FAA’s Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) helps safety inspectors understand the decision-making process of pilots to help prevent future accidents and incidents. Any operator, not just air ambulance services, may establish an ASAP with the FAA.