Air Taxi Spot
Menu

How the FAA certifies powered-lift air taxis

The FAA is certifying Joby’s and Archer’s air taxis as powered-lift, a type of aircraft that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like an airplane. Here’s what that means, how the process works, and where companies in this directory stand. Every rule below links to the FAA or the Federal Register. We checked them on October 10, 2026.

What powered-lift means

FAA rules define powered-lift as “a heavier-than-air aircraft capable of vertical takeoff, vertical landing, and low speed flight that depends principally on engine-driven lift devices or engine thrust for lift during these flight regimes and on nonrotating airfoil(s) for lift during horizontal flight.” Source: 14 CFR 1.1

In plain words: propellers or rotors lift it straight up, and a wing carries it in cruise. Tilt-rotor and lift + cruise designs fit that wording. A wingless multirotor doesn’t, because it has no wing for cruise. See the three common layouts.

Two sets of rules: the aircraft and the pilot

The aircraft: a type certificate

The FAA hasn’t written a separate rulebook for powered-lift aircraft. Instead, it certifies each design as a “special class” aircraft under 14 CFR 21.17(b). It picks the parts of the existing airplane, helicopter, engine, and propeller rules that fit that design, adds new criteria where needed, and publishes them in the Federal Register for comment.

On July 18, 2025, the FAA issued Advisory Circular 21.17-4. Its criteria apply to powered-lift with a maximum gross weight of 12,500 pounds or less, six or fewer passenger seats, and battery-powered electric engines driving propellers. The FAA calls them “an acceptable means, but not the only means” of compliance.

The pilot and the flight: SFAR No. 120

The FAA published its powered-lift final rule on November 21, 2024. It took effect on January 21, 2025. The rule created a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR), now 14 CFR Part 194, which stays in effect until January 21, 2035. It covers:

  • How the first powered-lift pilots and instructors get certified, including in aircraft with only one set of flight controls.
  • Which operating rules apply to powered-lift flights.
  • Training, testing, and maintenance requirements.

The rule also requires a pilot to hold a type rating for each powered-lift they fly. It didn’t add new requirements for certifying the aircraft itself.

How type certification works

FAA Order 8110.4 describes five phases. Companies often use their own names for them. Sources: FAA and Industry Guide to Product Certification, FAA Order 8110.4C

  1. Conceptual design. Early meetings where the company introduces the design and both sides plan the work.
  2. Requirements definition. The company applies and proposes a certification basis: the exact rules the aircraft must meet, plus any special conditions.
  3. Compliance planning. Both sides settle the certification basis and the plan for showing each rule is met, by test, analysis, or inspection.
  4. Implementation. The company runs the tests and analysis, and the FAA reviews the results. After reviewing test results, the FAA issues a Type Inspection Authorization (TIA). A TIA authorizes the official inspections and the ground and flight tests needed for the type certificate. When everything is shown, the FAA issues the type certificate.
  5. Post-certification. The company keeps the aircraft airworthy in service and manages later design changes.

A type certificate approves the design. To carry paying passengers, a company also needs FAA approval to build the aircraft (a production certificate) and to fly a commercial service (for air taxis, a Part 135 certificate). Joby says it received its Part 135 certificate in 2022 and plans to get its production certificate shortly after its type certificate. Source: Joby 2025 Form 10-K

Where companies stand

These are each company’s own statements. Companies count steps differently, so compare them with care.

On October 10, 2026, none of the companies in this directory had announced an FAA type certificate for an eVTOL air taxi.

Is the eVTOL pilot program a shortcut?

No. The FAA says the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program “is not a mechanism to bypass certification requirements,” and aircraft in it must already be in formal type certification. Source: FAA eIPP fact sheet How the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program works.

Outside the U.S.

Other regulators use their own rules. In Europe, EASA certifies VTOL aircraft under a dedicated special condition, SC-VTOL. Source: EASA VTOL page China’s CAAC, Brazil’s ANAC, and Japan’s JCAB run separate processes. How to read certification stage labels.

This is general information, not legal or certification advice. The FAA’s documents are the authority.

Joby vs. Archer · Air taxi glossary · All guides · Home