VAI Urges Swift FAA Action on Low-Altitude Routes for Vertical Flight
Vertical Aviation International (VAI) recently provided testimony to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Aviation during the hearing titled “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024: Stakeholder Perspectives on Implementation One Year Later.” The association called for the prompt implementation of rules to support low-altitude IFR operations for rotorcraft and powered- lift aircraft — both to enhance safety and to prepare for the integration of next-generation vertical flight aircraft.
Cade Clark, chief government affairs officer at VAI, emphasized the urgent need for full and timely implementation of Section 627 of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act that mandated modernization of low-altitude IFR routes using performance- based navigation, and urged the FAA to act without delay while also prioritizing high-density airspace and integrating these efforts with broader air traffic control modernization initiatives.
“Implementing Section 627 is a critical step toward ensuring that rotorcraft and powered-lift aircraft can operate safely, predictably, and efficiently in increasingly congested and complex airspace,” Clark stated in his testimony. “It also lays the foundation for integrating advanced technologies and aircraft into a modern, performance-based airspace system.”
Clark’s testimony also underscored the indispensable role of vertical flight aircraft in disaster response, firefighting, medical evacuations, and infrastructure resilience — highlighting that nearly 1,000 helicopters were contracted for federal wildfire response missions in 2024 alone.
VAI reaffirms its commitment to working closely with Congress, the FAA, and industry stakeholders to ensure Section 627 is implemented with the urgency, transparency, and technical precision necessary to meet expanding public service and commercial demands.
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