Advanced Air Mobility: the road to 2028 and beyond

On 16 September 2025, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (“CAA”) published its “Advanced Air Mobility: eVTOL Delivery Model”. The publication occurred against the backdrop of the CAA’s function in providing a regulatory framework that supports continued innovation in the airspace industry, whilst ensuring adherence to the highest standards of safety.

Advanced Air Mobility (“AAM”) is used to describe the emerging aviation ecosystem which uses new aviation services and innovative technologies to transport people and goods. Electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) refers to a group of aircraft within the AAM that are typically capable of vertical take-off and landing, use electric propulsion for their energy, have multiple rotors and are used for passenger and/or cargo transport.

The publication supports the UK Government’s objective to see eVTOL in the UK from 2028, by outlining the CAA’s ambition to have in place by the end of 2028 a clear regulatory framework and operational systems that allow initial commercial eVTOL flights in the UK. The CAA acknowledges that due to the pace of technological change in this sector, there is a need to establish a flexibility provision in the regulation to enable the CAA’s discretion (for example on classification of aircraft that do not fit the published definitions).

The CAA has detailed its approach across three timescales:

1. Fly Now: Presently, it is possible to fly an eVTOL aircraft pre-certification for testing and experimental purposes.

2. Fly Tomorrow: By the end of 2028, the CAA aims to have the framework in place to enable eVTOL commercial air transport in the UK.

3. Fly in Future: Not all future changes can be anticipated, and the CAA will continue to work with the industry through working groups to understand their needs. The areas that the CAA expects to take forward beyond 2030 cover: air traffic management, eVTOL certification specification, unlicensed aerodromes, hybrid and non-electric fuel, and ab initio training for flying an eVTOL aircraft.

Crucially, the publication highlights the CAA’s roadmap to 2028 by illustrating milestones and dates to deliver legislative change required in 2027, ahead of implementation in 2027-2028. A key milestone is expected in 2026, when the CAA plans to submit its Opinion and Instruction Document for eVTOL to the Department for Transport, setting out the legislative changes recommended. 

CAP3169 demonstrates that the CAA is serious about designing and implementing a regulatory environment that will help the UK’s nascent eVTOL industry to flourish. It will be interesting to see how the flexibility envisaged by the CAA is used to help assist growth to 2028 and beyond.

Please contact our Aviation Disputes team for further information.

This article was written by Anusha Kasture and Patrick Bettle.