Vertical Flight Infrastructure Needed For The Future The United States aviation infrastructure framework currently recognizes two categories of use, public and private, but change is needed with the development of vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. While the public and private categories have historically supported conventional fixed-wing airport development, it increasingly misaligns with the operational, safety, and economic realities of vertical flight. One of the most significant consequences of the current classification system is the near-total exclusion of heliports from federal airport development funding. This problem could be acute as industry prepares for the introduction of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations using electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.
