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Four years of internal struggle preceded the Federal Aviation Administration’s abrupt course reversal last year on its approach to certifying electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, according to a newly released audit report from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG).
Related: FAA changes course on eVTOL certification
The report describes how “significant internal debates” within the FAA hindered the agency’s progress in deciding on a certification pathway for winged eVTOL aircraft like those being developed by Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation. Although that dispute was finally resolved in April 2022 — as The Air Current was the first to report last year — auditors said the FAA “will likely continue to face challenges as it progresses through the certification process for AAM [advanced air mobility] aircraft”.
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