Advanced Air Mobility: The Current State of Development and the Challenges

Kurzfassung

This comprehensive review articulates the multidimensional landscape of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and synthesizes critical insights from global scientific consortia, regulatory authorities, and pioneering national deployment initiatives. The analysis is anchored in the Scientific Assessment for Urban Air Mobility (UAM), a landmark consensus document formulated by the 27-member International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR) at the strategic behest of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Building on this empirical foundation, the study critically evaluates the current state of the AAM domain through the lens of global harmonization. The study examines ongoing AAM initiatives, elucidating the strategic shift toward a holistic, interoperable vision that reconciles legacy aviation provisions with the unique operational profiles of highly automated new entrants. The study concludes by synthesizing these divergent regional trajectories into a cohesive global perspective. By establishing this comprehensive baseline, the research serves as a critical navigational resource for the global scientific community, national aviation regulators, and industry practitioners. It equips these key stakeholders with an actionable understanding of current developmental milestones and emerging trends shaping the new airspace ecosystem. For regulatory bodies, the analysis underscores the urgent need for harmonized rulemaking to prevent market fragmentation and accelerate cross-border operations. Simultaneously, it provides AAM practitioners and academic researchers with a targeted diagnosis of the most critical operational bottlenecks that must be collaboratively resolved to unlock commercial viability. It also serves as a basis for a strategic roadmap for sustained international research collaboration to bridge the protracted valley that currently separates high technological readiness levels from true, scalable operational maturity.