Concept of Operations for
Uncrewed Urban Air Mobility
Version 2.0© 2023. The Boeing Company. All Rights Reserved. Not Subject to Export Regulations.

Foreword
We are embarked as pioneers on a new science and industry…
Our job is to keep everlastingly at research and experiment,
to adapt our laboratories to production as soon as practicable,
to let no new improvement in flying equipment pass us by.
Bill Boeing, 1929
Nearly a century after Bill Boeing’s call to action, a massive air transportation systemthat safely transports people around the globe has been created, and even still his
message rings true. Annually, over 46 million flights move more than 4 billion airplane
passengers between cities, countries, and continents. Yet, the majority of the global
population has never flown in an airplane.
A convergence of social dynamics, business models, sustainability goals, andtechnology are enabling a new chapter in aerospace. Air travel will become much more
personal, accessible, and frequent as we normalize a new form of transportation in theskies. Advancements in autonomy, electric propulsion, and network connectivity haveallowed a wave of inspiring inventions with immense potential to change aviation
forever.
We are on a mission to establish safe and affordable, everyday flight for everyone. A
whole-of-industry approach is needed with stakeholders in both the traditional andemerging aviation systems. Beyond the novel aircraft, an ecosystem will evolve that
integrates them into the airspace, repurposing aging infrastructure while inventing newsocietal norms for its use. Community trust and acceptance will be key.
This concept of operations for urban air mobility (UAM) is the culmination of studies byexperts across Boeing, Wisk, Aurora Flight Sciences, SkyGrid, and other industry
affiliates.1 It specifically addresses a critical element to safely scaling up the tempo of
UAM flight operations—enhanced automation and a shift in how we define the role ofpilots. This document describes an approach to the transition from crewed to uncrewed
flight that applies technical and operational innovations that are at once both
evolutionary and pragmatic.
As inventors, leaders, and enthusiasts of UAM, we have an obligation to society andeach other to build on the aviation successes of the past and to advance the highest
safety standards. Together, we will build and shape this novel future ecosystem while
continuously improving safety and efficiency. We invite your inputs and feedback to thisconcept of operations. This is a living document that will mature over time.
Here’s to the next 100 years.
Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk

1

SkyGrid is a Boeing joint venture. Wisk and Aurora Flight Sciences are wholly owned Boeing
subsidiaries.

Table of Contents
1

Introduction
1.1
Purpose
1.2
Intended Audience
1.3
Scope
1.4
Enablers
2 Principles and Assumptions
2.1
Automation Levels
2.2
Urban Air Mobility Aircraft System
2.2.1 System
2.2.2 Aircraft
2.2.3 Supervisor
2.3
Airspace and Air Traffic Management
2.4
Third-Party Service Provider
2.5
Vertiport Manager
2.6
Establishing a Stepping Stone to Urban Air Mobility
3 Urban Air Mobility System: Aircraft and Fleet Operations Centers
3.1
Urban Air Mobility Aircraft
3.1.1 Navigation
3.1.2 Mission Management
3.1.3 Detect and Avoid
3.1.4 Command and Control Datalinks
3.1.5 Hazard Avoidance
3.1.6 Contingency and Emergency Management
3.1.7 Cybersecurity
3.2
Fleet Operations Center
3.2.1 Integrated Operating Picture
3.2.2 Fleet Manager
3.2.3 Multi-Vehicle Supervisor
3.2.4 Remote Passenger Hospitality
3.2.5 Information Management and Distribution
4 Urban Air Mobility Operational Environment
4.1
Airspace
4.1.1 Airspace Classes
4.1.2 Flight Rules
4.1.3 Instrument Flight Procedures
4.1.4 Air Traffic Control Services
4.2
Third-Party Service Providers
4.2.1 Command and Control Communication Service
4.2.2 Detect and Avoid Service
4.2.3 Aeronautical Data Service
4.2.4 Booking Platform Service

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4.3
Vertiports
4.3.1 Vertiport Types
4.3.2 Physical Design Attributes of Vertiports
4.3.3 Vertiport Alternatives
4.3.4 Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance Equipment
4.3.5 Meteorological Equipment
4.3.6 Vertiport Management
4.3.7 Ground Management
4.3.8 Onsite Passenger Hospitality Management
4.3.9 Base Maintenance Management
5 A Passenger’s Journey
5.1
Booking and Check In
5.2
Departure, Flight, and Arrival
6 Operational Vignette
6.1
Capabilities for Autonomous Urban Air Mobility Operations
6.2
Operations
6.2.1 Flight Scheduling
6.2.2 Preflight
6.2.3 Departure
6.2.4 In-flight
6.2.5 Approach and Landing
6.2.6 Postflight
7 Working Together
7.1
Regulatory Engagement
7.2
Workforce Engagement
7.3
Community Engagement
8 Looking into the Future

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List of Figures
Figure 1. A Concept for Advanced Air Mobility in Urban Environments

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Figure 2. Time-Based Metering along Normal Flight Path

21

Figure 3. Fleet Operations Center

25

Figure 4. U.S. Airspace Classification

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Figure 5. Keyhole Placement Strategy Example

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Figure 6. FAA Airports Engineering Brief No. 105, Vertiport Design

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Figure 7. Vertiport Topology Examples

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Figure 8. Off Nominal Diversion Flight Path

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Figure 9. Turn-around Procedure Flow

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Figure 10. Passenger-Centric Autonomous UAM Journey

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Figure 11. UAM System Functions with Embedded Enabling Capabilities

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Figure 12. Flight Scheduling Sequence and Flow

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Figure 13. Preflight52

Figure 14. Departure and Beginning of Flight53

Figure 15. In-flight55

Figure 16. Approach and Landing

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Figure 17. Postflight58

List of Tables
Table 1. Comparison of Current State and Future State for UAM Operations

17

Table 2. Vertiports Key Features

38

Table 3. UAM Roadmap to Operations at Scale

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Executive Summary
This document is a second iteration of a Concept of Operations (ConOps) for
uncrewed,2 passenger-carrying, urban air mobility (UAM)3 operations using highly
automated, electric aircraft. The document incorporates industry and government
stakeholder feedback and reflects changes to align with most recent publications (ex.,
FAA UAM ConOps v2.04). From the implementation standpoint, the main difference
between initial publication and this document is a transition from end-to-end trajectorybased operations to procedural methodology of UAM integration into the NAS that
doesn’t require changes to existing Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems.
The purpose of this ConOps is to provide a potential blueprint for global UAM
operations. The ConOps targets safe initiation of uncrewed UAM passenger operationsin the NAS by the end of this decade, while providing a steppingstone to the goal oftransitioning to high-throughput operations in the years that follow.
UAM operations will be conducted day and night in visual and instrument
meteorological conditions (i.e., VMC and IMC). The aircraft will utilize electric propulsion
and employ a combination of onboard and ground-based systems to carry out
functions currently executed by onboard pilots. Electric propulsion will eliminate direct
carbon emissions, reduce noise, and reduce energy consumption. Uncrewed
operations monitored and managed by multi-vehicle supervisors, in collaboration with
automated systems, will reduce the cost of flight, thereby increasing access andaffordability.
This ConOps describes the key principles and assumptions for UAM aircraft, theoperational environment, and normal operations that rely mostly on existing traffic
management concepts. Fleet operation centers will be physical facilities that host UAM
aircraft operator personnel. Third-party service providers will provide capabilities tosupport remotely supervised flight operations. Vertiports are managed by vertiport
operators and are fixed locations where UAM aircraft will take off and land, load andunload passengers, and receive services (e.g., battery charging). Vertiport managers will
ensure safe and efficient vertiport usage and coordination of surface movement.
While current certification, airspace, and operating rules will be complied with to thegreatest extent possible, modifications will be needed to address the capabilities of
new UAM platforms (e.g., electric distributed propulsion, detect and avoid, autonomy,
non-visual approach and departure procedures, etc.). Globally, regulatory frameworks
will need to evolve and be harmonized to enable this new UAM ecosystem andultimately bring it to a fully scalable mode of transportation, benefitting from thetechnological advances implemented within the aviation industry. The UAM industry willneed to work with states, cities, and economic development organizations to effectively
evaluate, plan, and implement the changes that will be required to integrate UAM safely
and seamlessly into the airspace and ground infrastructure. Ultimately, public
acceptance of uncrewed UAM operations will be crucial to scaling the market.
2

Uncrewed aircraft are aircraft without an onboard crew.

3

UAM is a subset of Advanced Air Mobility and focuses on lower-altitude operations within
urban environments.
4

FAA UAM Concept of Operations v2.0 - https://www.faa.gov/air-taxis/uam_blueprint

This iteration of Uncrewed UAM ConOps not only intentionally defines a future that will
require an evolution from the current state but also provides a detailed roadmap on theevolutionary steps that must take place to achieve the scalable vision. While UAM
aircraft will be designed to support this ConOps, they should be provisioned for theindustry’s vision of future operations. Using Safety Management System principles,industry must work closely with regulators to reach the proposed midterm state as a
steppingstone to the mature state.
Through collaboration, engineering excellence, and a safety mindset, Boeing and Wisk,
alongside their respective partners, intend to lead the advancement of the UAM
industry to achieve a future state where safe and affordable, everyday flight can beavailable to everyone.

Figure 1. A Concept for Advanced Air Mobility in Urban Environments

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1 Introduction
As part of the ongoing collaboration between Wisk and Boeing, this document
continues to mature the Concept of Operations (ConOps) for uncrewed, passenger
carrying, urban air mobility (UAM) operations involving highly automated, electric
aircraft. This concept is presented within the context of the United States national
airspace system (NAS) with the intention of conveying a blueprint for operations on a
global scale. This ConOps is intended to facilitate stakeholder engagement, concept
maturation, and, ultimately, industry consensus on how to enable such operations.

1.1 Purpose
This ConOps v2.0 describes how uncrewed UAM operations can be safely integrated
into the NAS by the end of the decade, as well as convey a pathway for scalable
industry growth through the advancement of concepts that will create a foundation for
Automated Flight Operations (AFO).

1.2 Intended Audience
The intended audience for this document is key public and private stakeholders,
including:● The Federal Aviation Administration.
● The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
● Current users of the national airspace system (e.g., general aviation, businessaviation, airlines, etc.).
● Standards development organizations (e.g., RTCA, ASTM, SAE, EUROCAE,etc.).

● Participants and stakeholders in the UAM ecosystem.
● UAM aircraft original equipment manufacturers.
● Federal, state, and local policy makers.

1.3 ScopeThis ConOps focuses on four central elements of UAM operations, namely:
1. UAM system: UAM aircraft and the associated ground-based operational control
elements.
2. Operational environment: The airspace environment, air traffic management
system, vertiport environment, regulatory flight rules, and operational procedures.
3. Normal operations: A description of standard UAM operations.
4. Contingency and emergency operations: Identification of contingency andemergency procedures that will be unique to UAM operations.
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1.4 Enablers
Uncrewed UAM will be the result of enabling technologies such as battery anddistributed propulsion advancements, ubiquitous communication and localization
capabilities, and advances in automation systems. This convergence will support the
adoption of:● UAM-centric flight plans: UAM-centric flight plans will provide flow

management for UAM operations on UAM Required Navigation Performance(RNP) Routes that will enable strategic separation and sequencing and support
procedural deconfliction and conformance monitoring.

● Comprehensive air and ground situational awareness: Situational awarenesswill support optimized flight planning in the presence of weather, traffic
congestion, airspace, as well as obstacle and terrain constraints.

● Vertiport automation systems: These systems will streamline vertiport capacity
balancing and allocate real-time landing zone availability, which will help
minimize FAA ATC actions in managing UAM traffic.

● C2 link infrastructure: C2 links will provide reliable and deterministic ground-to-air command and control capabilities.
● Detect and avoid (DAA) and landing hazard avoidance (LHA) systems: DAA
and LHA systems will provide UAM aircraft with tactical conflict management
capabilities.

● Voice communications: Reduced voice-based communication, per procedural

agreements, will support initial operations. As operational tempo increases, atransition to digital voice communication will begin as part of UAM infrastructure
scale-out. These Internet Protocol-based communications will enable constantcommunication integrity monitoring between ATC operational centers and fleet
operational centers, as well as automated transfer capability as UAM aircraft
cross ATC facility boundaries.5

5

Similar to intra-facility automated handoffs in STARS, ERAM, or MEARTS in Fused Display
Mode.

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2 Principles and Assumptions
The key principles and assumptions in this ConOps are based on the overarching goalof providing safe, affordable, everyday flight for everyone.

● Safe: UAM operations will meet or exceed the highest safety standards ofcurrent commercial aviation.
● Affordable: Remote supervision will eliminate the weight and cost of flightcrews. Electric propulsion will reduce fuel and maintenance costs. These
reductions will allow UAM operators to provide affordable flight for everyone.

● Everyday flight: Day and night operations in visual meteorological conditions(VMC) and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) will be possible. Electric
propulsion will minimize aircraft noise and eliminate direct carbon emissions.

2.1 Automation Levels
Autonomy-related terms, as used in this ConOps, are defined as follows:● Human-within-the-Loop (HWTL): systems will follow pre-defined, finite, andthus predictable, deterministic sequences of tasks. A system may be interrupted
by operators and will require human initiation and direct supervision.

● Human-on-the-Loop (HOTL): systems will select from a pre-defined, finite setof tasks to achieve a given objective or regulate subsystems conditionally, but
without the need for direct supervision. HOTL systems may involve humanintervention.

● Human-over-the-Loop (HOVTL): systems will independently decide their own
course of tasks to achieve a given objective without the possibility of humanintervention.

Key principles that will govern UAM aircraft system design relate to these behaviors:● HOVTL stability control: Without an onboard pilot, UAM aircraft will

autonomously manage the stability and inner loop control of the vehicle and will
not be piloted remotely.

● HOTL contingency and emergency behaviors: UAM aircraft automation withhuman supervision will manage navigation during contingency and emergency
scenarios. This may include selecting the best emergency landing zone (ELZ)
based on an aircraft’s energy state, information on potential zones, and otherbehaviors.

● HWTL navigation behaviors: UAM aircraft will automatically execute flightplans along defined UAM RNP routes.

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2.2 Urban Air Mobility Aircraft System
This ConOps defines the UAM aircraft system to be composed of the UAM uncrewed
eVTOL vehicles and the complementary ground facilities that will be tightly integrated
into the vehicle operation. The ground facilities will provide not only the usual airline
fleet operations management and flight dispatch functions, but also some essentialfunctions currently performed by onboard pilots that will be allocated by design toautomation and personnel on the ground.

2.2.1

SystemThe following list of assumptions is driven by the principles in section 2.1 regarding the
UAM system:● Operational behaviors: Whenever possible, UAM aircraft will follow theguidance, best practices, and recommended procedures currently used in the
air transportation system.

● C2 datalinks: UAM aircraft will be equipped with a C2 datalink that will connect

the aircraft to a fleet operations center (FOC) on the ground. If the C2 datalink isinterrupted, UAM aircraft will enter a predetermined lost-link operational state,6
which will trigger specific lost-link contingency procedures (e.g., squawk 7400
and proceed according to the approved flight plan).

● Cybersecurity: UAM aircraft and associated systems will require strong

cybersecurity for protection and resilience against intentional and unintentional
cyberattacks.

● Operator certificated: UAM aircraft operators will be certified under 14 CFRPart 135 or Part 121.

2.2.2

Aircraft

The following list of assumptions is driven by the principles in section 2.1 regarding the
UAM aircraft:● Hazard detection and avoidance: UAM aircraft will be equipped to detect

operational hazards (e.g., traffic, weather, terrain, obstacles, etc.), and execute
avoidance maneuvers if appropriate. Supervisory oversight and intervention will
be possible but will not be required. UAM aircraft will be operated in accordancewith applicable collision avoidance, remain well clear, and right-of-way
frameworks and regulations.7

6

RTCA’s SC-228 has defined equipment requirements for C2 datalinks (see TSO-C213, DO-362
and DO-377A, or later).
7

These regulations (e.g., 91.113) were written with the assumption of an onboard pilot. RTCA’s
SC-228 has defined operational and equipment requirements for how aircraft without an
onboard pilot can comply with these regulations (see TSO-C211, Detect and Avoid (DAA)
Systems, TSO-C212, Air-to-Air Radar (ATAR) for Traffic Surveillance, DO-365B, or later).

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● Precision takeoff and landing: UAM aircraft automation will enable vehicles totake off and land without the need for a visual segment.
● Avionics equipment: UAM aircraft will have autoflight and communications,navigation, and surveillance (CNS) capabilities that will meet the performancebased requirements for the airspaces in which they will operate.

● Type certificate: UAM aircraft will meet the applicable regulator-defined
airworthiness certification requirements.

2.2.3

Supervisor

Uncrewed UAM aircraft will be managed by supervisors located in the FOCs. Eachaircraft supervisor will be responsible for monitoring assigned aircraft but will not
function as a remote pilot, as the piloting functions will be automated (onboard and in
the FOCs). Also, each aircraft supervisor will manage multiple aircraft and be referred toas a multi-vehicle supervisor (MVS).
The following key principles will apply to MVSs:● Supervisory in nature: Under the supervision of an MVS, the avionics suite
onboard UAM aircraft automation will execute the flight.

● Authority over automation: MVSs will be able to override flight intent of the
UAM aircraft unless an aircraft has lost its C2 link.

The following key assumptions apply to MVSs and MVS stations:● Multi-vehicle supervision: MVSs will have responsibility for as many as three
UAM aircraft. As the UAM ecosystem advances further, though, they are
expected to have authority for more than three aircraft in the mature state.

● Awareness of operational environment: MVS stations will provide theinformation necessary to ensure sufficient operational awareness (e.g., aircraft
limitations, airspace constraints, etc.).

● Hazard avoidance: Both before and during flight, MVSs will be responsible forverifying flight plans and their associated trajectories to avoid hazardous
conditions (e.g., traffic, weather, terrain, obstacles, etc.). MVSs will be able tomodify aircraft flight path based on the options in the route database if they
determine that the aircraft will encounter a hazard on the current route.
● Two-way communications with ATC: MVSs will be responsible forestablishing and maintaining two-way voice communications with ATC as
required by the operation, airspace, and agreements with ATC (e.g., Letters ofAgreement with respective ATC facilities). Automation of basic communication
functions will streamline the activities of the MVSs.
● Interaction among multiple MVSs: Depending on the operational practices ofthe operator and aircraft capabilities, specific procedures regarding how MVSs
will hand off aircraft (e.g., during shift changes) may be established upon
approval from respective regulators.
● Off-nominal procedures: If a UAM aircraft experiences an emergency orcontingency that requires the focused attention of a single MVS, procedures forhanding off the other aircraft under the MVS’s supervision may be leveraged.
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2.3 Airspace and Air Traffic Management
Key principles for the integration of UAM aircraft into today’s airspace andtransportation system are:● Existing infrastructure: Maximizing the use of the infrastructure, procedures,and services provided by the existing air transportation system.

● Enabling regulation: New and revised regulations and operational policies will
enable new operations and their integration into the NAS.

● High-fidelity flight planning: UAM operations will entail high levels of efficiency
and predictability that will be attained by conformance to detailed flight plans
with both spatial and time elements.

● Minimal conflicting traffic: Collaborative flight planning will enforce limits on
traffic flow demand and will avoid intersecting flight paths. Flight plans will be
end-to-end, from takeoff to landing, and will be approved and routinely
executed in their entirety.

Key assumptions for the integration of UAM aircraft into today’s airspace andtransportation system are:

● Airspace classes: UAM aircraft will depart from, operate in, and land at
locations in the G, E, D, C, and B airspace classes.

● Instrument procedures: UAM operations will leverage published UAM RNP

routes and instrument flight procedures (IFP)—including low-altitude airways;
instrument approach procedures (IAP), including missed approach procedures
and transitions; and standard instrument departures (SID) with departuretransitions.

● RNP authorization required (AR): UAM aircraft and multi-vehicle supervisorysystems will be equipped and approved to follow RNP AR approaches anddepartures.

● Vertical segments: UAM aircraft operations will use IFPs that provide verticalguidance to and from surfaces. Avionics, autoflight automation, and SIDs and
IAPs will be created to accommodate the vertical takeoff and landing segments
associated with final approach and takeoff (FATO) areas.

● Dedicated UAM RNP routes: Although dedicated airspace may not be

required, dedicated UAM RNP routes would contribute to operational efficiency
gains and would reduce ATC interventions to resolve traffic conflicts. By design,
UAM RNP routes will not interfere with other published routes and airspaces,
and thus will provide some procedural separation.

● Clearances: UAM operations will obtain IFR clearances from respective ATC

facilities following standard procedures for respective controlled or uncontrolled
airports.

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2.4 Third-Party Service Provider
Third-Party Service Provider solutions that will replace key functions currently
performed by an onboard pilot will be provided by a third-party service provider (TSP),
an entity separate from the UAM operators and ATC. The following key principles will
apply to TSPs and their services:● Secure: Cybersecurity will be a key design requirement given the distributed

nature of TSP systems.
● Data and functions: TSPs will provide databases as well as information
products based on those databases. For example, a TSP may provide a
database of Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) but might also provide optimized flightpaths that consider the limitations imposed by those NOTAMs.
Key assumptions regarding the services TSPs will provide include:● Traffic awareness: TSPs will provide low-latency data to FOCs for trafficawareness, similar to SWIM data. Data and underlying services will form afoundation for TSP separation service capabilities necessary for enabling higher
UAM density operations.

● Weather awareness: UAM operators will use weather data provided by TSPs toavoid flight in hazardous weather and to address challenges unique to UAM
aircraft operations, such as peculiar weather in complex low-altitudeenvironments and highly dynamic wind variability.

● C2 datalinks: TSPs will implement and maintain the C2 datalink infrastructure
required for UAM aircraft operations. This infrastructure will provide
deterministic and predictable C2 link coverage.

● Validated aeronautical data: TSPs will provide the validated databases andreal-time data products necessary for flight planning, instrument flight procedure
execution, vertiport availability status, etc.

TSP services will gain maturity and gradually take on increased airspace responsibilities- including strategic deconfliction and separation management functions. These
increased safety-of-life approved capabilities will initially operate in “shadow-mode”
and be assistive during the midterm phase (this ConOps), providing supplemental
services to the UAM operators, and transition into “responsible-mode” during themature UAM phase once operational efficiency, level of safety, and public acceptanceexist.

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2.5 Vertiport Manager
At each vertiport, the following key principles will apply to vertiport managers (VM):● Resource assurance: VMs will provide resource assurance for operator

reservations (e.g., FATO reservations). These assurances will be needed for
eVTOL aircraft because they will have limited capabilities for hovering and rerouting due to their all-electric design.

● Local surface control authority: VMs will maintain authority over the surfacesthat they control. Authority over the airspace will remain with ATC.

The following key assumptions apply to vertiports:● Awareness of vertiport environment: VMs will provide the information required
to ensure sufficient operational awareness for planning purposes and real-time
intervention, if needed.

● Off-nominal procedures: If a UAM aircraft experiences a degraded state andthe contingency or emergency requires the attention of a VM, procedures will bein place for the VM’s response. This will also include planning constraints on
resource scheduling (e.g., FATO reservations) to accommodate aircraft
diversions.

2.6 Establishing a Steppingstone to Urban Air Mobility
UAM aircraft will be engineered to support the ConOps described in this document,
while also being provisioned for the industry’s vision of future operations. Industry mustuse Safety Management System principles and work with regulators on operational
testing to reach the proposed midterm and mature states.
Table 1 compares the key principles and assumptions of this section with the state ofcurrent regulations as well as a mature UAM ConOps.

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Table 1. Comparison of Current State and Future State for UAM Operations
Initial UAM

Midterm UAM

Mature UAM(This ConOps)

Timeframe

Now-2028

2028-2032

2032+

FlightOperations

Visual Flight Rule (VFR)
and Instrument Flight Rule
(IFR) operations.

VFR and IFR-expanded operations
with special flight procedures8 where
UAM aircraft will adhere to published
UAM RNP routes and instrument
procedures with operator-induced
spacing and sequencing.

Automated Flight Operations(AFO) where automated traffic
management solutions will
enable reduced aircraft
separation and higher traffic
density.

Airspace

Existing and new routes.

Published UAM RNP routes.
Some terminal areas may benefit
from point-to-point UAM corridor
structures with mandatory ATC
participation.

High-density dynamic UAM
corridors integrated in terminal
airspace.

Instrument
FlightProcedures

SIDs, low-altitude routes,
IAPs, missed-approachprocedures.

Published RNP procedures.
New procedures and criteria will
enable automated vertical guidancefrom and to the surface.

RNP procedures supported by
UAM corridors (enveloped indesignated airspace) managed
by automated traffic
management.

Pilot

Onboard pilot.

MVS (up to three aircraft10).

MVS (many aircraft).

Flow
Management
and Separation
Services

Operators file flight plans.

Operators will file flight plans
supported by TSPs.

Flight planning and separation
services will be automated for
all UAM operations under AFO.

(Class B, C, D, E, G9)Visual segments require an
onboard pilot to complete
flight to the surface.

ATC provides separation
services to IFR and some
VFR aircraft via VHF voicecommunications.

ATC will provide separation services
to UAM aircraft via voicecommunications.
Flight plans, route structures, andbetween operator coordination
practices will minimize the need forseparation services.

ATC Handoffs
and Check-ins

Pilots engage with ATCover VHF voicecommunications, manuallyswitching frequencies.

Voice communications systems andappropriate Letters of Agreement will
support more automated handoffs,
check-ins, and link verification withATC.

Communication integrity checks
will be automated or eliminatedwithin the UAM corridor
environment.

8

UAM operations will leverage Letters of Agreement, as well as waivers, exemptions, andspecial procedures (where necessary) for support of integration into the NAS, as outlined by theSpecial Procedures and Airspace FAA Group in accordance with the FAA Order 8260.60.
9Passage through uncontrolled airspace (i.e., Class G) will usually occur only during approachand departure flight segments.
10
Given that multi-vehicle supervision is not part of the legacy VFR and IFR paradigms, theintegrated UAM systems are being designed from the start to enable it. In this Midterm ConOps,
the operational implementation of aircraft-to-supervisor ratio will be context specific (i.e., at 1:1,
1:2, 1:3, etc.) depending on the operational specifications, human factors studies, regulator’s
approvals, and aviation safety limitations.

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Initial UAM

Midterm UAM

Mature UAM(This ConOps)

Heliport andVertiport
Surface Control

Heliport operators
authorize access to theirsurfaces.
Fixed-base operators(FBO) manage schedules
and coordinate surface
movements.

VMs will control surface movements
and slot reservations.
Slot allocations will procedurally
regulate access to airspace
immediately above vertiport FATOs.

VMs will control surface
movements and slot
reservations.
Airspace above vertiports is
controlled by automated traffic
management to provide greater
operational fidelity.

The remainder of this document describes operations as envisioned in the Midterm
column in Table 1. It is important to acknowledge that the concepts and principles of
the autonomous UAM operation, as outlined in this ConOps, require successful
demonstration that the safety of all aircraft in the environment is maintained throughout
all phases of flight and in nominal, contingency, and emergency scenarios.

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3

Urban Air Mobility System: Aircraft and Fleet
Operations Centers

In this ConOps, UAM aircraft are defined as aircraft without an onboard pilot that arecapable of carrying 4-6 passengers over distances that typically span 30 to 60 nautical
miles. A normal mission profile will involve cruise segments at speeds of 110-120 knots
between 1,200 feet to 4,000 feet above ground level (AGL). For UAM aircraft
categorized as powered lift, there will be a segment where lift will transition from thrustborne to wing-borne flight.

3.1 Urban Air Mobility Aircraft
This section describes the equipment that will be necessary to meet flight route andairspace requirements.

3.1.1

Navigation

UAM aircraft will be authorized for RNP AR. They will be able to leverage existing
approaches as well as newly designed procedures that will be unique to UAM
operations. Leveraging existing approaches and using newly designed procedures willallow UAM aircraft to operate from a large set of vertiports. These procedures will alsoenable navigation and guidance in consideration of obstacle clearances (laterally andvertically) to the point of transition to vertical autoland.11 UAM aircraft will havenavigation databases that provide navigation information and published procedures(e.g., geospatial information, route information, digital vertiport maps, etc.). These
databases will be updated periodically and maintained to ensure integrity.
In case of a failure of a position source or a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
system outage, a redundant, multi-source positioning solution (e.g., a tightly coupled
Inertial Navigation System) will be necessary to ensure the safety of UAM aircraft.
Contingency procedures for partial failures of positioning or navigation systems will be
designed to ensure safe completion of flights.
Most of the current instrument flight procedures contain a visual segment when arriving
or departing. For UAM aircraft, new procedures that provide vertical guidance from andto the surface, along with a high-accuracy, integrity, and availability positioning systemfor departure and landing at designated vertiports will be required.12 Figure 2 shows
how aircraft will use time-based metering along the normal flight path.

11

Guidance and navigation to the surface for the autoland function is conceptually similar to an
Instrument Landing System CAT III.
12

See section 4.3.4 for additional discussion on ground-based equipment for precision landing
systems.

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Figure 2. Time-Based Metering along Normal Flight Path

Route selection, design, and execution will be important to electric aircraft due to theirlimited onboard energy storage capacity. This limitation will require efficient routes thatmaintain safe landing options along their flight path in the event of a contingency or
emergency. Preflight planning, along with real-time monitoring of winds, can ensurethat the vehicle’s energy state will be sufficient to reach available alternative vertiports,
including secure ELZs, if needed. Onboard functions will maintain the best alternative
options based on these data to execute a descent and landing if necessary.

3.1.2

Mission Management

UAM aircraft will be equipped with an onboard flight operations management systemthat will have primary responsibility for the safe execution of flight. This system will becomposed of a mission management system (MMS) and vehicle management system(VMS).
MMSs will be responsible for flight plan management and execution, C2, ATCcommunications, aircraft flight, recording, and maintenance data capture. Any
modifications to flight missions will be executed through an interface to the MMS.
MMSs will have some overlap (namely flight plan management) with current flight
management systems, but they will also have key differences regarding their mission
management roles. MMSs will contain sets of predefined IFPs and routes and highfidelity databases of obstacles and terrain to support safe HOTL navigation.
MMSs will translate flight planning data into commands for VMSs. VMSs will be
responsible for lower-level flight control. VMSs will use multi-source navigation
solutions (e.g., the ability to continue flight in case of GPS loss) to navigate along MMSdefined flight paths.
Complete routes, from departure to arrival, will be planned by FOCs and filed with ATC
for pre-negotiation for flow management and provision of applicable separation
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services. These routes will be passed to MMSs for execution. However, MMSs will alsocommand speed and path changes to VMSs to execute interval management, DAA
maneuvers, and LHA13 maneuvers with MVS over-the-loop. MMSs will also be able toexecute path changes associated with predefined contingency and emergency
management plans as necessary.

3.1.3

Detect and Avoid

UAM aircraft must remain well clear of and avoid collisions with other airborne traffic asrequired by Federal Aviation Regulations 14 CFR Part 91, §91.111(a), §91.113, and§91.181. Detect and avoid capabilities (e.g., as provided by the Airborne Collision
Avoidance System Xr) will enable uncrewed UAM to comply with these requirements.
This ConOps accommodates onboard or ground-based DAA and combinations of thetwo.14 Considerations that will guide DAA system designs will include the size, weight,
and power of onboard components, the latency and reliability of networks andcommunication links in ground-based DAA, and the potential effects of frequency
congestion from multiple UAM aircraft using onboard radar and interrogatingtransponders in close proximity to major Class B airports.

3.1.4

Command and Control Datalinks

C2 datalinks between UAM aircraft and MVSs will be provided by radios onboard theaircraft and a secure, distributed, and deterministic network of radios that may include
both ground and satellite-based infrastructure.15 These datalinks will provide a means
for MVSs to supervise and, if necessary, command UAM aircraft. These radios will
provide sufficient service volumes to cover UAM operations, including all contingency
and emergency branches on flight plans.
See section 4.2.1 for information on command-and-control communication service
providers.

13

Landing Hazard Avoidance implementations may include both air, ground, or a combination ofboth systems.
14

RTCA DO-365B provides eight classes of DAA systems, not all of which are expected to besuitable for UAM aircraft.
15

RTCA DO-377A specifies the requirements for C2 datalinks.

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3.1.5

Hazard Avoidance

UAM aircraft will be equipped and operated to avoid operational hazards beyond
airborne traffic (e.g., terrain, hazardous weather, ground obstacles, etc.). Whereavailable, UAM aircraft will leverage existing avionics (e.g., Helicopter Terrain
Awareness and Warning System). Alternatively, UAM aircraft will leverage third-party
services to provide real-time data on potential hazards (e.g., micro-scale weather for
urban environments).

3.1.6

Contingency and Emergency Management

Because UAM aircraft will operate without an onboard pilot, they will require significant
automation to address contingency and emergency situations. Initiation of contingency
and emergency procedures will be primarily allocated to onboard automation, with
notification of and supervision by an MVS.
Contingencies and emergencies may include the following:

●
●
●
●
●
●

Loss of C2 link.
Loss of DAA.
Loss of GPS.
Failures associated with the propulsion system.
Failures associated with the energy storage system.
Onboard medical emergencies.

This ConOps assumes that UAM aircraft will have sufficient onboard automation to
respond to contingency and emergency events like those listed above and safely
complete flights even in the absence of a C2 datalink. During such events, the onboard
avionics suite will automatically execute pre-programmed contingency and emergency
procedures (e.g., diversion); however, if the C2 datalink is still available, the MVS
supervising the aircraft will be able to override these procedures if necessary.
For example, if a UAM aircraft enters a lost-link state, the aircraft will initiate specificprocedures and protocols in an attempt to regain the C2 link with MVS on the loop.
Fixed PBN procedures will allow the aircraft to continue the execution of the mission asplanned, according to the last clearance received from ATC. The aircraft willautomatically squawk 7400 if it cannot regain the link. The MVS will notify ATC via asecondary means and verify that the aircraft is squawking 7400. It will indicate that
onboard procedures for a lost-link state are being executed. ATC will activate their lost
link procedures. To ensure safe operations, the availability of landing sites along any
point of the route in the event of a precautionary or emergency landing will becoordinated with the appropriate VMs.
In addition, procedures will be in place for offloading tasks from the responsible MVS
when an aircraft is experiencing a contingency or emergency event that requires theirfocused attention.

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3.1.7Cybersecurity

Uncrewed, highly automated UAM aircraft will encounter ever-increasing cyber threats.
To meet these threats, UAM aircraft will require robust and traceable compliance withairworthiness security regulations. These aircraft will follow RTCA DO-326A,
Airworthiness Security Process Specification and DO-356A, Airworthiness Security
Methods and Considerations, to show compliance with related regulations. Onboard
security monitoring for electronic disruption should be standardized and available for
implementation.
FOCs will monitor for disruptions in the security or digital trust within the operational
fleet and use master caution warning indicators as inputs to flight operations. Securityrelevant artifacts will be captured throughout the operational environment when there is
impact to safe operations.

3.2 Fleet Operations Center
FOCs will be physical facilities that will host UAM aircraft operator personnel. These
personnel will be responsible for planning and monitoring UAM aircraft operations. The
key personnel located at FOCs will be fleet managers (FM), MVSs, and remotepassenger hospitality personnel.

● FMs will:ooooBe responsible for fleet and resource scheduling.
Oversee pre-departure planning, resource scheduling, and dispatch.
Perform dynamic re-planning of fleet operations in the presence of
weather or other operational disruptions.
Create mission intent for each UAM aircraft flight.

● MVSs will:oooBe responsible for supervising multiple UAM aircraft.
Fulfill pre-departure and in-flight coordination with ATC.
Have the ability and command authority to override vehicle actions ofaircraft under their control throughout flight.

● Remote passenger hospitality personnel: Remote passenger hospitality will
be responsible for passenger health and provide safety communications topassengers before, during, and after flights.

FOCs will be designed to enable multi-vehicle supervision with an MVS-to-aircraft ratioof up to 1:3 in today’s NAS, using effective human-machine teaming applications.
These same designs, as airspace services adopt higher levels of automation, areexpected to operate at ratios of more than 1:3 as operations scale. As shown in Figure
3, each FOC will have multiple MVSs and workstations and one or more FMs.

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Figure 3. Fleet Operations Center

3.2.1

Integrated Operating Picture

The Integrated Operating Picture(s) (IOP)16 will include a set of real-time operational
information that will be accessible to UAM operators and VMs. This information will
include:● Vertiport reservation information (ledgers of slots and gate reservations,
including secure ELZ allocations).

● C2 datalink spectrum reservations.
● Aircraft flow information.
● Real-time position and velocity (as with current Automatic Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) messages).

● Weather information.
● Cyber master caution warning lights.
There will be two types of IOPs in the UAM ecosystem.

● Centralized IOPs: Centralized IOPs will be managed by a centralized entity andshare information with various participants. Current-day examples of centralized
IOPs include airline operation centers that pull information from centralized

16

Operating Pictures as outlined in this ConOps may predate the Cooperative Operating
Practices as outlined by the FAA UAM ConOps v2.0. It is expected that as the UAM ecosystemmatures and scales, Integrated Operating Pictures will evolve into robust, practicable solutions.

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System Wide Information Management (SWIM) and surveillance broadcast
service network servers.
● Decentralized IOPs: Decentralized IOPs will be managed by a set of entities
instead of a single, centralized entity. Current-day examples of decentralized
IOPs include aircraft operating pictures that are formed through in-air ADS-B
exchanges.
FOCs will use different IOPs to ensure all relevant data are available for safely operating
UAM aircraft.

3.2.2

Fleet Manager

At each FOC, a FM, assisted by the automation in the FOC, will plan and schedule UAM
flights, serving the formal role of flight dispatcher. Like current flight planning,scheduling, and dispatch, the FM and the automation will both depend on detailed
information about the forecasted passenger demand, the airspace and vertiport
capacities, and the airspace congestion (including low-altitude operations like small
unmanned aircraft), as well as on supplemental information such as NOTAMs andAirmen's Meteorological Information.

3.2.2.1

Preflight Planning: Mission Intent Definition

Based on available information, FMs will create mission intent for each flight. The
mission intent will coordinate all resources (e.g., aircraft, ground management, MVS,
passenger hospitality, routes, vertiports, applicable flow management or ATCconstraints, etc.) required for the flight. A 4D flight path, executed by the MMS withspatial and temporal buffers, will be generated and captured for the flight. This flightpath will also include predicted energy consumption, reserves, potential contingencies,
and alternate landing sites (including ELZs).
As aircraft departure time approaches, FMs will update mission intents with current andforecasted information to ensure an accurate prediction of energy consumption andreserves. Traffic flow integration that takes into account flight paths with other known
UAM operations will be a critical part of this phase of mission planning.
Monitoring and updating mission intent before the flight will be a key activity of fleet
management automation. For example, mission intent will be automatically removed
when the flight is completed or if the operation does not become active within a definedtime frame.

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3.2.2.2

After Departure: Conformance Monitoring and Dynamic Rerouting

After departure, FMs will have awareness of overall flight operations and aircraft
conformance to the original mission intent.17 During system-level events (e.g., weather
or disruptions that may restrict parts of routes), FMs will ensure a fleet-wide response
and coordinate the fleet operations accordingly.
These types of revisions will leverage the same real-time operational information usedduring the flight planning to provide a mission intent that optimizes fleet performanceand minimizes any negative system-level impacts.
FMs will assist MVSs, as required, in updating mission intent in response to observed
adverse conditions (e.g., hazardous weather) or during in-flight contingency or
emergency events. FMs will monitor for these types of situations and, if necessary,orchestrate a network-level response. MVSs will be responsible for approving any
changes to the mission intent prior to UAM flight departure.

3.2.3

Multi-Vehicle Supervisor

MVSs will be responsible for supervising multiple UAM aircraft. MVSs will be supported
by automation onboard the aircraft as well as automation in their MVS station (as part of
the human-machine teaming FOC concept) to retain supervisory responsibility over
UAM aircraft throughout all phases of flight.
Multi-vehicle supervision will be enabled by high levels of operational predictability andlow levels of required human workload and cognitive bandwidth. Flight plans received
from FMs will provide this predictability. The fidelity of flight plans and potential
contingency or emergency responses will enable automated flight execution with a low
level of workload by MVSs. For example, a robust UAM RNP Route Network and prenegotiated Letters of Agreement (LOAs) with ATC will preclude most routine ATCinterventions in UAM flights, enabling ATC to manage UAM aircraft by exception rather
than routine instruction.

3.2.3.1

Adjusting Mission Intent

Prior to the flight, FMs will provide MVSs with mission intent for the flight under theirsupervision. The mission intent will contain “… all available information concerning thatflight.” (§ 91.103). This will include weather, charge and/or fuel (for hybrid electric)
requirements, NOTAMs, temporary flight restrictions, known ATC delays, aircraft takeoff
and landing performance (e.g., maximum allowable payload per the flight conditions
such as density altitude), etc.
MVSs will review the mission intent and either accept or reject it. If an MVS accepts themission intent, they will be responsible for the operation and safety of the aircraft andbecome the final authority for making or, if the source of a modification is external,
approving changes to the mission intent and its execution. If the MVS, FM, supporting
automation, or ATC identifies the presence of a hazard or future inefficiency (e.g.,

17

Monitoring aircraft adherence to plan is a standard feature of current dispatcher systems.

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weather, traffic congestion, airborne traffic), an adjustment to mission intent may benecessary prior to departure or during the flight.
Time permitting, FMs may be able to automatically coordinate updated flight plans withATC and other automation systems. Updated mission intent will then be provided to the
MVS for approval and upload to the aircraft. MVSs may directly initiate ad-hoc pathchanges caused by time-sensitive events (e.g., ATC vectors). The aircraft will maintainclosed loop trajectories in case there is a loss of C2 link or energy safety thresholds arereached. However, these types of events will be rare, and most uploads to the aircraft
will complete mission intent changes. Once updated, the new mission intent will be
distributed to the automation systems of the FOC for use by the larger UAM ecosystem.
MVS approval of mission intent adjustments will not be required in the following
situations:● Lost-link states: During lost-link states, onboard avionics will execute preprogrammed contingency and, if required by additional failures, execute
emergency procedures.

● DAA resolution advisories: DAA resolution advisories will be automatically

executed onboard the aircraft to avoid near-midair collisions. Return to course
may be automatic or commanded by the MVS.

3.2.3.2

Multi-Vehicle Supervisor Workstations

MVS stations will be the primary interface for MVSs to supervise and manage aircraft
under their authority. MVS stations will provide an aggregated set of multi-vehicle
information that will enable MVSs to execute routine operations and respond tocontingency or emergency events.
Current ground control stations for remotely piloted aircraft provide a point of departure
for the design of MVS stations. MVS stations will incorporate additional automation
capabilities alongside the careful consideration of human-factor design principles forhuman-machine interfaces.
The interaction between MVS stations and UAM aircraft will be optimized around theexchange of the mission intent files. However, to respond to ATC vectors andcommands, MVS stations will enable MVSs to command aircraft heading and altitude(similar to an autopilot interface used in aircraft today). During these types ofoperations, it may be beneficial to reduce the number of aircraft under the authority of agiven MVS to prevent MVS task saturation.
MVS stations will also support the following functions:● Preflight checks: Automation and ground management, supervised by the

MVS, will ensure that all required preflight tasks, including battery level checks,
flight line maintenance by ground management crew, vehicle configuration, andsystem health checks have been completed. This will also include verificationthat passengers have received a safety briefing from passenger hospitality
management.

● Cybersecurity checks: Cybersecurity checks will monitor for intentional
unauthorized digital interference as it relates to safe operations.

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● Aircraft and airspace operational status: MVS stations will continuously

monitor flights and ensure UAM aircraft are operating within limits inconformance with the mission intent. In addition, MVS stations will monitor
vehicle health status, actual winds aloft, and energy reserves.

● ATC voice communication: ATC communications infrastructure will provide
MVSs with the means for voice communication with ATC and other airspaceparticipants.

3.2.4

Remote Passenger Hospitality

Remote passenger hospitality personnel located in FOCs will be responsible for thehealth of passengers during and after emergency and contingency events. This will
include communicating with passengers and providing assurance throughout
emergency and contingency events.

3.2.5

Information Management and Distribution

Information management will be a key design consideration for fleet management and
FOC automation systems. The operations described in this ConOps will rely on multiple
up-to-date, low-latency, high-integrity databases. These databases will provide UAM
vertiport schedules and status, landing site and gate availability, the aggregatedmission intent from other planned operations, and SWIM data from ATC.
Fleet management automation systems will provide the means to update the databases
used by booking platforms or multi-modal service providers. These databases will
provide customer-facing applications with the information required to provide
appropriate notifications, alerts, and instructions to passengers. For example, a FM
may provide an update that an aircraft scheduled to conduct a mission has been
delayed. This update will be automatically provided to the UAM operators and booking
platform service providers via an established application programming interface.

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4

Urban Air Mobility Operational Environment

UAM aircraft operations will leverage the existing air transportation system to the fullest
extent possible. However, as outlined below, the existing system’s infrastructure andsupporting services will need to evolve to support this ConOps. This ConOps leverages
concepts (e.g., FAA NextGen, TSPs, etc.) and technologies (e.g., ADS-B In applications)already being developed by UAM stakeholders. It builds on a foundation of today’s
NAS, leverages new operational capabilities being deployed by NextGen, and adds
elements of new third-party services and vertiport management.

4.1 Airspace
UAM operations will introduce a few new components specific to uncrewed operations
into the existing airspace structure, published procedures, and operating rules. The
following sections explore the utility and need for changes in four key areas of the NAS.

4.1.1

Airspace Classes

UAM aircraft will depart from, operate in, and land in uncontrolled (Class G) andcontrolled airspaces (Class E, D, C and B), as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. U.S. Airspace Classification18

Today, IFR operations, with associated ATC services, are operable in all airspaceclasses. Published procedures provide paths through busy airspace that help tominimize the potential of traffic conflicts. Traffic flow management balances demandwith available capacity for forecasted conditions. Surveillance and voicecommunications are used for traffic control.

18

Source:https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/course_content.aspx?cID=42&sID=505&preview=true

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4.1.2Flight Rules

The ConOps in this document employs IFR constructs,19 within the context of 14 CFRPart 91 Subpart B, while supplementing it with adjustments specific to uncrewed UAM
aircraft operations. These adjustments lean on special flight procedures and letters ofagreement (LOAs) reflective of waivers, exemptions, and special procedures for current
operations of unmanned aerial systems in the NAS to extend the existing flight rule
constructs. Modification of regulations made possible by the FAA’s vision for an
Infocentric NAS will enable operations with reduced interaction between air traffic
controllers and the supervisors of uncrewed UAM aircraft.
The following attributes will form the basis for operational procedures that will allow
MVSs to supervise up to three aircraft.

● Timely airspace information as reflected in the Integrated Operating Picture (i.e.,
vertiport, C2 datalink, traffic flow, real-time position and velocity, weather, etc.).

●

Letters of Agreement between ATC and operators to achieve:oIn-trail self-spacing along UAM RNP Routes.

oInterval management for route merging points (incl. vertiports).

oReduced voice communications.

●

Highly structured operations.

●

Flight prediction accuracy.

●

Operators’ automatic flight tracking.

●

Other digital information capabilities.

Previous human factors studies have informed some of the concepts outlined in thisdocument. As this Midterm ConOps evolves, only the concepts proven safe by ongoing
human factors assessments and validation efforts will be included as part of operations.
Regardless, a necessary condition for the application of multi-vehicle supervision at any
time is that it must be proven as safe as, or safer than, existing piloted operations.
In the midterm time frame of this ConOps, the initial operations of uncrewed UAM will
engage ATC separation services as follows:● ATC will provide traffic separation services in controlled airspace.
● UAM operators will submit flight plans to ATC for the short flights (30 minutes orless) to ensure effective demand and capacity balancing and flow management
to increase predictability in the terminal areas of operation.

● UAM operators will consistently operate over fixed and predictable RNP routes

and employ existing techniques (e.g., interval in-trail self-spacing and intervalmanagement) to keep ATC workload low.
This ConOps presents the use of system designs that enable M:N concepts (e.g., MVS
stations and UAM aircraft). However, as previously stated, the ratio of supervisor-to19

Aircraft equipped for IFR flight can use published routes and IFPs to prevent most conflicts
with other traffic. This is enabled not only by the structure and organization of the routes andprocedures, but also by the CNS infrastructure for the airspace in which the aircraft fly.

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aircraft may vary based on the operator’s operational specifications, capabilities,
aircraft automation, standard practices, and agreements with ATC. All these requisites
will enable each uncrewed UAM flight operation under this ConOps to be capable ofmeeting legacy IFR connotations (i.e., definition of a pilot, pilot responsibilities, and pilot
requirements for ATC interactions), while being ultimately designed to support UAM
scalability.
Key enhancements to flight operations will be as follows:● Takeoff and landing: UAM aircraft will use procedures that enable fully

automated takeoffs and landings with vertically guided initial and final segments.

● Traffic spacing and sequencing: Using in-trail self-spacing and intervalmanagement practices based on standardized agreements with ATC andbetween operators for applicable in-trail procedural separation (taking
foundation from legacy traffic management initiatives for IFR traffic).

● ATC communication: Two-way voice communication between ATC and MVSs
will be provided by either a VHF ground relay or airborne vehicle C2 link or, asavailable, by low-latency, party-line Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network
communications.

● Energy reserve requirements: Robust contingency and emergency

management capabilities, including high-fidelity monitoring of the energy stateand consumption during flight, will enable an equivalent level of safety to thelegacy IFR reserve concept while reducing the amount of excess energy
required for a given flight.

4.1.3

Instrument Flight Procedures

Where available, UAM aircraft will be able to use FAA-approved routes, SIDs, and IAPs,
including missed approach segments (as well as arrival procedures if applicable).20
These instrument flight procedures will provide 3D (lateral and vertical) guidance forlanding and takeoff (e.g., lateral precision performance with vertical guidance, lateralnavigation and vertical navigation, and Instrument Landing System). UAM aircraft will
follow RNP along the IFPs, even in GPS-denied areas (this has been identified as an
issue for a few of the current vertiport locations).
For uncrewed UAM operations in particular, additional instrument segments thatprovide guidance to the surface will supplement current procedures and replace avisual segment in current operations (e.g., from the decision altitude or decision heightto the ground).
In order to deploy UAM operations more broadly, new vertiports (including vertiports on
airports) will be developed with new approach and departure procedures that are
unique to UAM aircraft operations. They will include guidance to and from the surface
as these technologies and the commensurate approach design criteria matures.
UAM aircraft operators and relevant stakeholders will work together to establish new
UAM RNP routes and IFPs. These will connect the system’s vertiports and establish a
20

The use of arrival procedures, in addition to approach procedures, may not be necessary for
UAM operations, given the low cruising altitude.

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complete UAM RNP route network that offers flight paths designed to be as direct as
possible. These RNP route networks will enable efficient UAM operations while
minimizing the need for tactical conflict management because, by design, they will notinterfere with existing routes and each other.

4.1.4

Air Traffic Control Services

ATC will be responsible for separating traffic in most of the airspace where UAM aircraft
will operate.21 Air traffic controllers will be appropriately trained and qualified in theunique performance characteristics of UAM aircraft. They will be aware of UAM-specific
RNP routes designed to maintain separation from other airspace users.
While not expected to be a common occurrence, MVSs will be enabled to respond to
ATC radar vectors and direct UAM aircraft to follow the clearances and other IFR traffic
management instructions.

4.1.4.1

Leveraging UAM RNP Routes

Due to onboard energy storage limitations, UAM aircraft will require high levels of
operational efficiency and predictability. They will operate on RNP routes largely uniqueto their missions. To reduce mission variances, these routes will be planned to minimize
encounters with other traffic. As a result, flight plans filed (or updated) just prior to
departure should represent high-fidelity projections of the profile that will be flown.
By design, UAM traffic should demand little tactical intervention and be largely
manageable by exception if the traffic remains on the filed UAM Route. In addition,
operator-induced traffic-flow management and pre-coordination with ATC will further
reduce potential traffic encounters by conditioning traffic flows to balance the demandwith available capacity for the forecasted conditions.
Management by exception is used as the transition stage to the TSP-managed
environment where legacy ATC is not expected to manage UAM traffic. Under thisConOps, UAM RNP Routes are assumed to be a transition stage between the regular
IFR routes and TSP-managed environment, where ATC applies proper separation
bounds to air traffic outside the UAM RNP routes but may intervene at any time andinstruct all aircraft.
While UAM operations may significantly benefit from the application of 4D trajectories
projections to their flight plans, this concept will likely be applied during the matureterm, when TSPs take on increased levels of responsibility for airspace separation
management. Autonomous UAM missions will use comprehensive 4D trajectories thataugment the aircraft performance and the filed UAM Route and reflect associated flightintent. On the operator side, it will include projected time slots for passing the planned
waypoints and appropriate time tolerances for proper sequencing of UAM aircraft on
the UAM route. While the time dimension will not be used for traffic deconfliction, it will21

ATC is required to provide separation service between aircraft operating under IFR incontrolled airspace (Class B, C, D, and E) as well as between aircraft operating under IFR and
VFR in Class B and C airspace. ATC is not required to provide separation services for VFR inother airspace, though they may provide traffic advisories.

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inform traffic-flow management and thereby ensure the viability of the arrival traffic
sequence.22
A second important reason for establishing a robust UAM RNP Route network andassociated procedures is the repeatability and predictability it provides, which, in turn,will significantly help in enabling practical automated conformance monitoring by FOCs
and ATC. This will be essential for reducing workload and maintaining safety, as people
are poor at simple monitoring functions. When automatic conformance monitoring
detects a deviation from the planned waypoint crossing time that is large enough toaffect traffic flow, it will be able to alert the MVS that a midflight re-plan may be needed.
For example, this could happen should winds vary substantially from those forecasted
for the route.
While not a prerequisite for any UAM operations, some terminal areas that have
intricate traffic patterns and heavy VFR and IFR traffic flows may benefit from simple
point-to-point UAM corridors established to smooth out NAS integration. These would
be highly dependent on the environmental complexity and the operational benefits tothe flight stakeholders in that area; hence, expected to emerge only after thoroughairspace evaluations to ensure safety for all operations in the NAS.

4.1.4.2

Voice Communications

As air navigation service providers globally implement air traffic management systems
that enable communications via VoIP, FOCs will be able to communicate with ATC overground networks instead of analog VHF radio broadcasts. Where VoIP is not yet
available, MVSs will be in two-way voice communications with ATC through the VHF
radio on the aircraft via a relay over the C2 datalink.
Because UAM missions will largely occur in proximity to population centers, theairspace in which they operate will likely be terminal airspace associated with a nearby
major airport (airspace class B or C, below a class B shelf, or within the Mode C veil23).
Therefore, during UAM flights, MVSs will most commonly be in communication withterminal ATC (e.g., Terminal Radar Approach Control) rather than enroute ATC.
UAM operators will establish procedures and RNP routes that require minimal routine
ATC voice communications for regular UAM operations in controlled airspace. Precoordinated LOAs and full flight clearances obtained prior to departure will support
necessary ATC interactions and enable MVSs to serve in supervisory roles. ATC voicecommunications24 under this ConOps will be infrequent and primarily tacticaladjustments to the flight path for deconfliction with non-UAM traffic.

22

Overly strict timing for traffic deconfliction will either be limited due to inherent uncertainties or
become a contract which must be met within a narrow margin and would, therefore, beprescriptive. The latter approach may introduce brittleness into the traffic flow or cause
inefficient operations due to over-constraining the trajectory.
23

Mode C veil refers to a type of airspace that currently surrounds all primary Class B airports
within the United States.
24

Certain necessary on-frequency callouts may be done using digital voice synthesis or prerecorded announcements to support legacy IFR handling procedures.

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4.2 Third-Party Service Providers
TSPs is a general term that includes different parties like Providers of Services for UAM(PSUs), Supplemental Data Service Providers (SDSPs), C2 Communication Service
Provider (C2CSPs), etc. TSPs will enable UAM operations by providing the data andfunctions (e.g., weather information) required to enable safe aircraft operations as wellas the services required to enable the UAM ecosystem at large (e.g., flight booking
systems provided by multi-modal transportation services). The key services andassociated service providers25 are described in the following sections.

4.2.1

Command and Control Communication Service

MVSs will require a C2 datalink to command UAM aircraft. These datalinks will be
required to maintain the operational tempo and efficiency in the UAM ecosystem. They
will enable real-time communication and system-level optimization of UAM aircraftrouting and operations.
C2 datalink equipment will consist of a Technical Standard Order (TSO)-approved radiothat will be installed on the aircraft as well as a secure, deterministic, low-latency
ground or satellite infrastructure that will provide connectivity with the FOCs.26
Frequency and spectrum reservation may be required as part of flight planning toensure that UAM operations will not be negatively affected by frequency congestion or
lost-link states along routes.
As noted in Section 4.1.4.2, C2 datalinks may also be used as a relay for ATC voicecommunications over VHF radio. When this is the case, the latency associated withsending ATC voice via the C2 link through the VHF radio onboard must be limited toensure that voice communications from aircraft are not negatively affected by onboard
crew broadcasting on the same frequency.
In the event that an aircraft loses its C2 datalink connection, it will revert to a lost-link
contingency mode of operation. Though this will reduce the efficiency of the larger UAM
environment, it will not be an emergency contingency in which safety of life isthreatened. As discussed in section 3, UAM aircraft will carry sufficient onboard
automation to maintain the safety of the operation during a lost-link state; still, such
events are expected to occur very rarely.

4.2.2

Detect and Avoid Service

RTCA DO-365B, Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Detect andAvoid (DAA) Systems, Minimum Performance Standards for Unmanned Aircraft System,
defines DAA architectures that leverage detection of conflicting traffic entirely from the25

Some companies may subsume the role of multiple service providers.

26

These systems are subject to RTCA DO-377A, as well as DO-362A (as modified by TSOC213).

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ground.27 Traffic advisories will be provided directly to the MVS in the FOC, and, if
necessary, directly to the aircraft for automatic execution.
DAA systems will need to provide sufficient coverage at the required performance
specifications to allow UAM aircraft to leverage ground-based DAA systems. DO-365B
defines different track performance requirements for terminal environments compared
to enroute environments. TSPs of ground-based DAA will be required to demonstratesufficient system and alerting performance for the entirety of UAM aircraft flight plans,
including any branches associated with contingencies and emergencies.

4.2.3

Aeronautical Data Service

UAM aircraft operations will require a wide variety of validated high-integrity data toensure safe operations. These data will include:

●
●
●
●
●
●
●

Geospatial information.
Terrain and obstacle information.
Micro and macro weather information.
Codified route and RNP NavSpec information.
Aviation map information.
NOTAM information.
Temporary flight restriction information.

FOCs, as well as VMs, will consume the information as a key input to optimizing
operations. While some of the datasets provided by supplemental data service
providers will contain non-flight-critical data, this ConOps assumes that information
sets containing flight-critical data will require FAA approval.
As a general assumption, supplemental aeronautical data used for UAM operations willleverage existing standards and formats.28

27

This ConOps considers both ground-based and airborne DAA.

28

For example, RTCA DO-200A, Standard for Processing Aeronautical Databases, serves as a
general standard for database processing, while individual databases meet specific standards
such as DO-272C, User Requirements for Aerodrome Mapping Information, DO-276B, User
Requirements for Terrain and Obstacle Data, or DO-291B, Interchange Standards for Terrain,
Obstacle, and Aerodrome Mapping Data.

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4.2.4

Booking Platform Service

Most UAM operators will integrate with third-party booking systems to generate abroad-based demand for their services. One example of this type of integration will be
the combination of a UAM flight with ground transportation provided by a multi-modal
service provider.29

4.3 Vertiports
Vertiports will be fixed locations where UAM aircraft will take off, land, load and unload
passengers, and receive services (e.g., energy replenishment). Based on emerging
market trends, vertiports may be operated by existing commercial FBOs. These FBOs
will become VMs responsible for day-to-day vertiport operations and partner with UAM
aircraft operators to ensure the efficient execution of UAM flights. Ground management
personnel from UAM aircraft operators will be located at vertiports to ensure safe andefficient UAM aircraft operations.
Currently FBOs often manage every aspect of busy heliports; however, they are notofficial airspace control entities like air traffic control towers. The primary services
provided by FBOs will include information provisioning and oversight during arrival
procedures, gate marshaling, towing, and energy replenishment. FBO organizations canbe trained and certified by third-party organizations and are not subject to FAA
oversight. Without airspace control authority, it’s likely that vertiport management
entities will be trained and certified in a similar manner.
In some cases, LOAs with local ATC will establish operational constraints, clearance
deliveries, and the roles and responsibilities for surface traffic management.

4.3.1

Vertiport Types

Vertiports will either leverage new facilities within the existing infrastructure or becompletely new facilities. Existing infrastructure, including any ground systems required
to enable the automatic and autonomic behaviors described in this document, will befurther developed to meet the specific needs of UAM.

29

Third-party platforms are subject to requirements defined in CFR Part 295 and Part 380 for
public charter operations.

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Table 2 defines three vertiports types and their key features.
Table 2. Vertiports Key Features
Vertistop

Vertiport

VertihubNumber of landing sites

1

2+

2+

Charging infrastructure

!

!

!

VM support

!

!

!

!

!

!

!

Gate infrastructure
Aircraft servicing!

Base maintenance!

Hangar space!

Vertistops, like helistops today, will often be located on top of skyscrapers and parking
garages. To meet the demand in a city center, multiple vertistops in close proximity
may be established in a coordinated fashion to ensure they can be used independently.
It is expected that vertihubs will be the base of operations for most UAM operators (liketoday’s helihubs). Vertihubs will host vertiport managers, ground management
personnel, and base maintenance staff capable of performing heavy maintenance,
repair, and overhaul on UAM aircraft. Because of the large space requirements andurban real estate constraints, vertihubs will typically be located in industrial or suburban
areas.
Vertistops, vertiports, and vertihubs may be co-located with airports (e.g., similar to
general aviation terminals) or evolve from existing helistops or helipads (like those in
Los Angeles and New York). Co-locating early vertiports will be advantageous due tothe existing infrastructure, like terminals, with associated services for passengers andsupporting CNS infrastructure.
If a vertiport is co-located with (or near) an airport, UAM operations will need to be
integrated with other airport traffic in a manner similar to how helicopter traffic at
airports is currently integrated. Keyholes (i.e., designed carve outs) in terminal airspace
may be used to omit the airspace above vertiport locations from the tower controller
authority and responsibility. This will allow a more efficient integration of UAM aircraft in
the controlled airport environment and provide a degree of independence from thecontrolling airspace structure to aid in management of other airport traffic.
For example, as shown in Figure 5, it might be possible to have keyholes for the twovertiports closest to the airport, while the third vertiport would not need a keyholebecause it is far enough away from the airport. These keyhole strategies are common in
the NAS and are used to reduce the need to coordinate non-interfering traffic with air
traffic flows at many major airports.
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Figure 5. Keyhole Placement Strategy Example

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4.3.2

Physical Design Attributes of Vertiports

Advisory Circular AC-150/5390/2C provides design guidelines for heliports in the UnitedStates; these guidelines can be used as a starting point for the design of UAM
vertiports. This document specifies criteria for the size of touchdown and liftoff (TLOF)
zones, FATO zones, and safety areas. It also specifies minimum separation
requirements for simultaneous operations.
This AC will eventually be replaced by FAA engineering brief No.105. Figure 6, takenfrom this engineering brief,30 shows an example of an elevated vertiport configuration.

Figure 6. FAA Airports Engineering Brief No. 105, Vertiport Design30

Source: https://www.faa.gov/airports/engineering/engineering_briefs/drafts/media/eb-105vertiport-design-industry-draft.pdf

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In addition to the FATO and TLOF, vertiports will include passenger-facing terminalbuildings and walkways, taxiways and gates, parking, and staging positions. Theseelements will be outside the movement area and will provide:

●
●
●
●

Passenger access for embarking and disembarking aircraft.
Power and cooling provisions for energy replenishment.
Areas for flight line maintenance.
Provisions for tying down UAM aircraft.

Each of these elements must be clearly marked, sized to fit UAM aircraft, andcompatible with the intended operations. These elements must also align with existingor expected regulator or standards body31 guidelines.
Vertiport capacity and flexibility will depend on the physical layout and footprint. Figure
7 shows three examples of possible vertiport topologies. Certain configurations andconstraints may result in dependent aircraft operations, which, in turn, may reduce
capacity and flexibility (e.g., vertiports placed on top of a building may be limited inphysical size).

Figure 7. Vertiport Topology Examples

Legend: Gray boxes are gates. Yellow boxes are FATOs with TLOFs. Gray rectangles
are taxiways.
The physical attributes of vertiports, including their height and location, the dimensionsof their operational areas, penetrations of obstacle clearance surfaces, ground hazard
information, etc., will be available to UAM aircraft operators. During the flight planningphase, this data will be considered to ensure hazard avoidance and maintain
operational safety.
Vertiports will also require dedicated sensors for conformance monitoring and resource
status evaluation. These sensors may include:● Cameras and sensors on FATOs to detect aircraft touchdown and takeoff, FOD,
and general occupancy.
● Close-range airborne object detection systems may be required in some cases
to detect objects like birds, small unmanned aircraft, etc.

31

For example, regulators include the FAA, ICAO, and European Union Aviation Safety Agency(EASA). See the FAA’s draft EB-105 for additional vertiport design requirements.

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4.3.3

Vertiport Alternatives

UAM aircraft will require alternative landing sites in case an event forces aprecautionary or emergency landing before they reach their destination vertiport. This
ConOps envisions three types of alternative landing sites:
Diversion vertiports: Diversion vertiports will be vertiports in the UAM route networkwith enough capacity to accommodate off-nominal landings. Diversion vertiports will be
preferable to other types of vertiports due to the availability of passenger-related
services.
Secure emergency landing zones: These will be sites along UAM RNP routes that will
support efficient UAM flight planning where vertiports aren’t available. They will provide
the required services for approach and landing (e.g., position, navigation, and timing(PNT) and C2 coverage). VMs or UAM operators will establish ELZ automation systems
that will provide surveillance status tracking of the ELZ.
Non-secure ELZs: Non-secure ELZs will be sites that have been surveyed anddetermined to be suitable for landing with minimal chances of encountering humanactivity on the ground (e.g., golf courses).
Figure 8 shows each alternative and an aircraft diverting to another vertiport due to ananomaly.

Figure 8. Off Nominal Diversion Flight Path

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4.3.4
Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance
Equipment
As discussed in section 4.2, TSPs will provide the C2 and DAA functions required tomeet the performance requirements (including operations around a vertiport) along
flight routes. Given the availability of the existing ground infrastructure, TSPs may
choose to co-locate C2 and DAA equipment at vertiports. Regardless of the physicallocation of such equipment, the services provided by TSPs at vertiports will be required
to ensure safe takeoff and landing operations.
Vertiports may also require additional communications to support operations on andaround vertiports. This will include communications between VMs and FOCs, as well as
communications between managers and support staff on the airport surface.
To meet PNT accuracy, integrity, and availability requirements for precision landing of
UAM aircraft, GNSS PNT may be augmented with the Ground or Satellite-Based
Augmentation System or an alternate PNT solution.

4.3.5

Meteorological Equipment

UAM vertiports will be provisioned with up-to-date weather information through onsite
weather sensors.32 These sensors will provide standard meteorological information,
including temperature, pressure, density, precipitation, and 3D wind information.
Ideally, the 3D wind information will be measured at various outer perimeter locations of
the vertiport to avoid rotor wake interference.

4.3.6

Vertiport Management

A vertiport management entity (including a vertiport automation system) may benecessary to host UAM vertiport management and operational roles.33 VMs will manage
surface operations and provide the operational status of FATOs, ramps, taxiways, andgates to the larger UAM ecosystem. The primary services VMs will provide include:● Allocating resources: VMs will oversee the allocation of landing sites, taxiways,
gates, hangars, ramps, cargo and passenger processing, loading and unloading
facilities, and equipment at UAM vertiports. Resource allocation may occur via
automated resource negotiations with fleet management.

● Controlling surface traffic: VMs will determine taxiway, gate, or FATO
availability, manage aircraft movement, and provide surface movement
authorizations.

● Airspace monitoring: VMs will monitor the immediate vicinity of the vertiports
and approach and departure IFPs to provide advisories on the airspace status
and flight execution.

Some of these services will be highly automated.
32

Data from automated weather or automated surface observing stations may be used inaddition to vertiport-specific data.
33

Similar to how airlines currently provide ramp control at busy commercial aviation hubs.

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In some cases, LOAs with local ATC will establish operational constraints, clearance
delivery, and roles and responsibilities for surface traffic management.

4.3.7

Ground Management

Ground management will include the personnel and systems that will perform theground handling and flight line servicing of UAM aircraft at vertiports. Groundmanagement personnel will be employed or contracted by UAM aircraft operators.
These personnel will perform the flight line servicing required by UAM aircraft at thestart and end of each day and between every flight. These operations will include:● Replenishing energy and cooling batteries: Ground management will be

responsible for charging aircraft batteries and performing associated coolingprocedures.

● Verifying aircraft are ready for flight: Before aircraft are ready for departure,ground management will complete all relevant preflight checks. These checks
will include verifying battery charge levels, ensuring automated system checks
have been satisfactorily completed, verifying that the passengers and cargo
have been appropriately secured, and confirming the aircraft system is secureand trusted, etc.
● Assisting with passenger embarking and disembarking: This role will involve
handoffs between ground management and the passenger hospitality crew.

● Towing aircraft: This ConOps assumes that UAM aircraft will not be able to taxi

under their own power. Therefore, ground management will be responsible fortowing the aircraft between hangers, FATOs, and gates. Taxi procedures will not
be required at vertiports without gates.

● Turn-around procedures: Ground management will perform UAM aircraft turn-around procedures. These operations (shown in Figure 9) will include:o Initial checks on the FATO and attachment of the towing support system.
o Taxi-in operations.
o At-gate turn-around procedures, mostly driven by energy replenishment
and passenger boarding operations.
o Taxi-out procedures.
o On-FATO taxi support system detachment and preflight checks.

Figure 9. Overall Turn-around Procedure Flow

Because MVSs will not be physically present at vertiports, ground personnel will be
responsible for determining the airworthiness of UAM aircraft. Ground management
personnel will be trained and certified to determine airworthiness. Ground management
will also verify aircraft weight and balance after loading procedures are complete.
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4.3.8

Onsite Passenger Hospitality Management

Onsite passenger hospitality management will include the systems and personnel
located at each serviced UAM vertiport. These services may be provided by UAM
aircraft operators or contracted from TSPs.
Passenger hospitality personnel will be trained in customer service and be deeply
familiar with UAM operations and optimal passenger experience. The exact details of
the qualifications and licenses these personnel will require will be determined byregulating authorities.
Their operational roles will include:● Safety briefings: Passenger hospitality management will deliver safety briefings(typically through safety briefing videos) to passengers prior to aircraft
departure. These safety briefings will inform passengers of the actions theyshould or should not take in the event of an emergency.
● Interface with multi-modal transportation providers: For scheduled
passenger handoffs between UAM operators and other transportation service
providers, passenger hospitality management personnel will welcome and direct
passengers to the aircraft. Postflight, passenger hospitality management
personnel will also ensure a safe handoff.

● Assisting with passenger embarking and disembarking: Passenger

hospitality management will assist with passenger embarking and disembarking.

● Emergency and contingency operations: Passenger hospitality management
will be responsible for the health of passengers during and after applicableemergency and contingency events.

4.3.9

Base Maintenance Management

The primary role of base maintenance management will be to maintain the continued
airworthiness of UAM aircraft; the base maintenance personnel will be responsible forscheduled and unscheduled maintenance that is not part of flight line servicing. These
functions will be in part achieved by using state-of-the-art aircraft health monitoring
systems and following FAA-approved manuals and procedures that govern scheduled
and unscheduled maintenance.
Base maintenance management will include advisory systems and personnel. Base
maintenance personnel will be trained and certified per necessary regulations and havea deep understanding of aircraft inspection, maintenance procedures, troubleshooting
and evaluation, and assembly and disassembly methods. In addition, basemaintenance personnel will be capable of interacting with sophisticated and highly
automated aircraft health monitoring systems and base maintenance management
software.

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The software will provide base maintenance management, ground management, andfleet management personnel with the tools they will need to:

●
●
●
●
●
●

Ensure airworthiness.
Schedule maintenance.
Manage aircraft availability.
Manage aircraft grounding for maintenance.
Track training requirements.
Capture aircraft health monitoring data for off-aircraft analysis.

Base maintenance management software will be used in conformance with the current
manual maintenance instructions.
Through the aggregation of data for all UAM aircraft in operation, the base maintenancesoftware platform will allow analysts to refine airborne health reporting algorithms anddeploy postflight anomaly detection methods to flag potential emerging aircraft issues.
To ensure operator and customer data protections (e.g., anonymity), the softwaresystem will confirm that deployed analytics capture the operational data insights while
always protecting operator or customer-identifying data.
It is important to note that original equipment manufacturers will be subject tocertification requirements for creating and refreshing the maintenance and repair
manuals that will be used by base maintenance personnel. These manuals will specify
the time between overhauls and provide other important aircraft maintenance andrepair information.

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5 A Passenger’s Journey
Commercial passengers will be the primary consumers of UAM aircraft operations.
Figure 10 shows an autonomous UAM journey from a passenger’s perspective.

Figure 10. Passenger-Centric Autonomous UAM Journey

5.1 Booking and Check In
Passengers will purchase seats on an existing flight or request a new flight through an
online booking application. If a booking platform service provider also serves as a multimodal service provider, passengers will have the option to book ground transportation
through the same platform if needed.
Passengers may contact the booking platform service provider’s customer assistancedesk for help with the booking application and rescheduling or canceling flights.
When passengers arrive at a vertiport, onsite passenger hospitality will verify theirbooking and conduct security and weight checks.

5.2 Departure, Flight, and Arrival
Passengers will be able to enjoy food and drink and use the restroom if needed before
boarding the flight. The VM will announce the flight-related information.
At boarding time, passengers will be escorted to the aircraft staging area, load theirluggage, and take their seats. If required, boarding assistance will be available. Once inthe aircraft, the passenger display will guide passengers through the onboarding
sequence, and remote passenger hospitality will introduce themselves to thepassengers.
Passengers will remain seated throughout the flight. They will have options for seat-toseat communication, environmental controls, in-flight Wi-Fi, and charging.

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A help button that will allow passengers to speak with remote passenger hospitality (ifneeded) will be available. Passengers will also be able to use the help button to trigger
contingency or emergency scenarios if required during the flight.
After aircraft touchdown and tow-in to the gate, onsite passenger hospitality will open
the doors, and the passengers will disembark and retrieve their luggage. Once they areclear of the staging area, the passengers will exit the service area and continue to their
final destination.

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6 Operational Vignette
This section summarizes key capabilities needed for uncrewed UAM operations andoutlines the sequential flow of the procedures described in this ConOps.

6.1 Capabilities for Autonomous Urban Air Mobility
Operations
The following is a summary of the capabilities that will be important for the introductionof autonomous UAM operations in the airspace:● Real-time airspace awareness, vertiport status, and wind maps.
● High-integrity digital C2 communications.
● ATC voice communications via VHF radio relay over C2 datalink or VoIP groundnetwork.

●
●
●
●
●

ATC data communications (pre-departure at CPDLC-enabled airports).
Precision navigation, including in GPS-denied conditions.
Vertical autoland.
Vertical auto-takeoff.
Air- and ground-based DAA in both VMC and IMC.

Figure 11 shows how this ConOps embeds these important capabilities.

Figure 11. UAM System Functions with Embedded Enabling Capabilities

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6.2 Operations
Nominal operational activity encompasses the standard operating procedures (SOPs)
that will be required to provide UAM flight services. UAM operators will be expected tohave regulator-approved SOPs that will specify these activities in detail and ensure safe
operations.
There will be two major sets of SOPs. The first describes activities before the day ofoperations, wherein the FM will (a) build the fleet schedule, (b) define the initial flightplans, (c) allocate resources to meet slot reservations, and (d) submit the flight plans to
ATC and the VM.
The second describes SOPs during the day of operations.

● Preflight: The MVS will review the flight plan, upload it to the UAM aircraft, andassume responsibility for the operation of the aircraft. Ground management will
perform all required preflight checks.
● In-flight: This phase of operations will involve the departure, cruise, approach,and landing of the UAM aircraft. The MVS will receive authorization from the VM
for surface movement at departure and arrival vertiports and clearances fromATC to depart and land.

● Postflight: Postflight, ground management will perform the required postflightchecks and the MVS, UAM aircraft, and FM will file the required post-mission
reports.

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6.2.1Flight Scheduling

Figure 12 shows the flight scheduling sequence and flow. Steps 1 through 3 provide
additional details regarding flight scheduling activities.

Figure 12. Flight Scheduling Sequence and Flow

1. Market demand aggregation: Flight scheduling for UAM aircraft will begin when
the FM receives demand forecasts for flights between the UAM vertiports.
2. Initial operational planning: The FM will begin initial operational planning by
turning demand forecasts into sets of viable mission intents. These mission intents
will include ATC flight plans along with additional information unique to UAM
operations (e.g., intended slot and gate occupancy at vertiports). As part of theactivity, UAM operators will assess their internal fleet resource availability as well as
their ability to access vertiports and airspace.
3. Demand and capacity balancing: The FM will submit the mission intent to the VM
to initially reserve FATO and gate access during dedicated slot auction windows
and ensure that support systems (e.g., suitable surface transport equipment) will beavailable. The FM will submit a flight plan to ATC for initial verification that there isenough capacity to support the proposed flight within the context of othersubmitted flight plans. In parallel, the TSP will reserve necessary spectrum for C2
datalinks to verify sufficient frequency capacity is available.
The FM will continue to maintain the database of mission intents and adjust them if
required by changing circumstances (e.g., vertiport closures).

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6.2.2

Preflight

Figure 13 shows the preflight activity sequence and flow. Steps 4 through 7 provide
additional details regarding the preflight activities.

Figure 13. Preflight

4. Continued operational planning: Shortly before flight, the FM will update the initial
mission intent with the latest weather forecast to create a high-fidelity mission
intent. The FM will check the updated mission intent for any conflicts or new
constraints.
5. Air traffic, vertiport, and TSP planning: Shortly before flight, ATC will officiallyapprove the flight plan and, after ensuring demand and capacity constraints havebeen met, provide pre-departure clearance if applicable (nominally as filed). The VM
will officially confirm that vertiport resources (e.g., FATOs and gates) have been
reserved. In parallel, the TSP will confirm spectrum reservations for the C2 link andprovide the validated databases and the real-time data products necessary for flightplanning, IFP execution, and vertiport availability status. If conflicts are identified,
the FM will initiate negotiations for a revised mission intent and flight plan.
6. MVS acceptance: When the high-fidelity mission intent is deemed free fromconflict, the designated MVS will receive the mission intent, review the main details,
and accept responsibility for the flight. After the MVS accepts legal responsibility forthe mission, they will upload the mission intent to the UAM aircraft’s avionics suite.

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7. Preflight checks and loading: Ground management will perform the aircraft
turnaround operations at the vertiport departure gate. These operations will include
boarding passengers and loading baggage by the onsite passenger hospitality
crew. Before the aircraft is ready to be towed for departure, ground management
will ensure that all the relevant preflight checks have been completed. Once thepreflight checks have been completed, ground management will inform the MVS
that the aircraft is ready to be towed for departure.34

6.2.3

Departure

Figure 14 shows the departure activity sequence and flow. Steps 8 through 10 provide
additional details regarding departure activities.

Figure 14. Departure and Beginning of Flight

8. Tow-out coordination: Prior to takeoff, the MVS will coordinate with the VM andground management for towing operations to the FATO. The VM will provide
vertiport surface movement authorization to tow the aircraft to the FATO.
The UAM aircraft will depart from a vertiport FATO. If the aircraft is departing from a
vertiport without gates (i.e., a FATO-only topology where the FATO is also used forground servicing or boarding of passengers), the aircraft will not need to be moved.

34

These checks will include verifying that the aircraft batteries have been appropriately charged
and automated system checks have been satisfactorily completed.

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9. Takeoff clearance and authorization: When the aircraft is ready for takeoff, theMVS will request a departure clearance for takeoff and execution of the entire flightplan. This will be subject to clearance confirmation at ATC boundary crossingsalong the route. The VM will also provide vertiport surface movement instructions
for takeoff. The MVS will verify that the required TSPs along the route are available.
a. If, for some reason, the UAM aircraft is not in position for takeoff during the
takeoff window, the FM, the VM, and ATC will collaborate to determine a new
departure time slot that maintains deconfliction requirements.
b. Once a new time slot has been negotiated, the MVS will update the mission
intent.
10. Auto-takeoff: After receiving the ATC clearance and VM instructions, the MVS will
send an authorized for takeoff signal that will allow the aircraft to execute an autotakeoff at some point in the takeoff time window. The MVS will retain control of the
UAM aircraft and use the Integrated Operating Picture aggregated by the FOC tomaintain awareness of the UAM aircraft’s surroundings. The TSP will manage theC2 datalinks between the FOC and the UAM aircraft.

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6.2.4In-flight

UAM aircraft will use instrument navigation procedures and normally cruise between
1,200 to 4,000 feet AGL. During the in-flight segment, the MVS will follow ATC
instructions to ensure appropriate aircraft separation. As a reminder, UAM aircraft
operations will be designed with self-spacing and sequencing to ensure that in-flight
instructions from ATC will rarely be required.
Figure 15 shows the in-flight sequence. Steps 11 through 13 provide additional details
regarding in-flight activities.

Figure 15. In-flight

11. Operator supervision: The MVS will monitor the Integrated Operating Picture and,should circumstances warrant, request approval from ATC to change the aircraft’s
speed, path, or both.
Requesting changes will be operationally normal, though exceptional, due to theextensive real-time and historical stochastic information that will be used in flightplanning.
12. ATC monitoring: ATC will be responsible for the flight as the designated separation
authority. If needed, ATC will be able to direct the MVS to alter the flight path or
speed of the UAM aircraft to maintain separation from other aircraft.

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55 of 68●While these types of directives are operationally normal, they will be rare dueto the procedural separation provided by the design of the UAM route
network.

●

A typical flight will not normally require ATC separation interventions as the
UAM aircraft will be able to autonomously fly on a specific UAM Route along
its intended flight path to complete the flight plan as cleared at the beginningof the flight.

●

When present on the route, handoffs and check-ins at ATC boundary
crossings will be streamlined through voice communication automation andoperational agreements. These handoffs and check-ins will serve as ATC
communications integrity handshakes and, in the absence of any other ATC
voice commands, provide consent to continue with the clearance provided
at the beginning of the flight.

13. In-flight hazard resolution: The UAM aircraft or the MVS will resolve any hazards
that occur during the flight. TSPs will also provide traffic and weather awarenessinformation to the MVS and the aircraft to ensure the aircraft remains well clear ofother aircraft in the area. Two examples of in-flight hazard resolution are provided
below:●The UAM aircraft and the MVS station will have automated functions that
continuously monitor the energy state of the aircraft. These features will help
ensure that the aircraft always has sufficient energy to divert to a preplanned
alternate landing site at any time during the flight. The aircraft will divert toan alternate landing site if the projected energy state becomes inadequate tocontinue the flight to the planned destination.

●

DAA capabilities, both on the ground and onboard the aircraft, will not belimited by meteorological conditions; therefore, the aircraft will always have
DAA capabilities available. These capabilities will provide additional
robustness to the UAM system operation if an unusual condition occurs. In
addition, they will also provide a means of reducing controller workload.

Because the MVS may be managing as many as three aircraft at a time, aconceivable scenario is that more than one ATC may be simultaneously issuing
voice directives to the MVS. Though this is considered normal rather than acontingency, it will be exceptional since ATC will seldom need to issue directives.
Even so, the MVS will always comply with ATC instructions in those instances. To
ensure timely responses, MVSs will leverage operational capabilities and technicaladvances that draw on advanced human-machine teaming applications
implemented in the FOC. Expanding on these implementations, potential examples
include one-button automated acknowledgement and execution of instructions,
MVS-to-ATC single-sector operations with MVS handoffs between sectors, multifrequency monitoring for MVS supervising aircraft in multiple sectors, and others –all of which must be proven safe via human factors studies and operational testing.

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6.2.5

Approach and Landing

Figure 16 shows the approach and landing sequence. Steps 14 through 17 provide
additional details regarding approach and landing activities.

Figure 16. Approach and Landing

14. Approach confirmation: The MVS, VM, and ATC will (1) confirm that the previously
established landing intent is still valid, (2) the landing slot is still available per the
mission flight plan, and (3) ATC and TSP/vertiport surveillance show no unplanned
approaching traffic. If required, ATC may issue off-nominal commands such as
speed changes, holding patterns, path stretches, or diversions.
15. Landing confirmation: ATC will monitor the flight and inform the MVS if any
clearance changes are required. In parallel, the VM will verify that the aircraft is safe
to approach. If the required clearance and landing instructions have been received,
the MVS will supervise the final landing segment.
If the required clearance or landing instructions are not provided (i.e., an approachrejection), the MVS will decide if the aircraft should enter a holding pattern, adjust its
arrival window and resume approach at a later time, or be diverted to an alternative
vertiport.
If the landing area is clear, the MVS will conduct a final system check and thenexecute the landing.
16. Autoland: The UAM aircraft will detect touchdown and automatically turn off its
motors. The MVS will alert ground management that the aircraft has arrived at the
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vertiport and notify the FM when the landing has been completed, and the aircraft
has been disarmed. The MVS, in coordination with ground management, will
independently verify that the vehicle has completed the disarming check procedure.
ATC will be notified that the aircraft landed safely to close the active flight plan.
17. Tow-in coordination: If needed, ground management will tow the aircraft from the
FATO to the gate once the VM provides the surface movement instructions.

6.2.6

Postflight

Figure 17 shows the post-flight sequence. Steps 18 through 20 provide additional
details regarding post-flight activities.

Figure 17. Postflight

18. Postflight checks and reporting: When the mission has been completed, the MVS,
ground management, and UAM aircraft will perform various system checks andgenerate a final mission report that will be submitted to the FM. Once the mission
report has been submitted, the MVS will drop the C2 link. Dropping the C2 link will
release the MVS from responsibility for the aircraft.
19. Mission report acceptance: The FM will review and formally accept the final
mission report and then store the information contained in the report for subsequent
processing.
20. Aircraft turnaround: In parallel, ground management will execute the aircraft
turnaround operations. These operations will include disembarking the passengers,
unloading the baggage, and replenishing the aircraft’s energy.

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7 Working Together
This ConOps aims to facilitate stakeholder engagement and concept maturation andbuild industry consensus for how to enable UAM aircraft operations. Building thisconsensus will require engagement and collaboration between UAM industry
stakeholders, regulatory agencies, and the workforce that will support UAM operations
and communities that will be impacted by the integration of UAM in their airspace.

7.1 Regulatory Engagement
Existing regulations will need to be modified to enable uncrewed UAM operations.
Current certification and operations rules may be used when appropriate, but
modifications will be needed to address the novel nature of these platforms (e.g.,
electric propulsion, DAA, autonomy, etc.). In addition to the development of industry
standards for these new technologies, regulators will need to adopt these standards
and develop the means and methods of compliance.
While UAM aircraft operators will be approved under 14 CFR Part 135 or Part 121, flight
operations rules will need to be modified to enable a safe evolution of the airspace forautonomous UAM operations. Ultimately, new flight rules and automated traffic
management will eliminate the need for ATC-provided separation services. However, as
described in this document, the introduction of supervised aircraft in the midterm will
require rule modifications that retain ATC separation services for instrument flight.
Technical advances in the communications, navigation, surveillance, and information
infrastructure currently in deployment will, in VMC and IMC, enable vertical autonomous
landings and a higher flight tempo than IFR procedures can support. This includes the
UAM aircraft participating in ATC separation services along new high-precision routes
directly connecting the UAM vertiports.
Globally, regulatory changes will be needed to allow the new UAM ecosystem to thriveand grow in a safe manner. Organizations like the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) will play a key role in facilitating and encouraging harmonized rules
and operations. In addition, export rules may need to be modified to enable worldwide
scalability.

7.2 Workforce Engagement
A novel and unique workforce will be required to support UAM operations. This new
workforce will need both traditional aviation skills as well as the knowledge and skills
required to support highly automated, electric UAM aircraft. The public and private
sectors will need to take intentional actions and make targeted investments to educate
and train this next generation workforce.

7.3 Community Engagement
Fostering public acceptance of UAM will be a crucial component to scale the market
and justify the business case. The public will need to be convinced that traveling on
UAM aircraft will be safe, reliable, and save them time and money.
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It will be crucial for industry to work with local cities and economic development
organizations to effectively evaluate, plan, and implement the changes required tosafely integrate UAM in the airspace. Some cities have already developed AAM working
groups composed of business, local government and community organizations to
support the community needs of AAM and UAM.

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8 Looking into the Future
A critical part of developing a UAM ecosystem is to not only realize the first introductory
steps, but also upkeep the dynamic goals necessary to achieve a mature state. Withhigh levels of automation being desirable for emerging flight operations, IFR and VFR,
being extremely human-dependent, are unlikely to support the long-term expectations
for scale and safety surrounding the UAM industry.
To overcome the limitations of legacy human-centric flight operations, looking at thisevolution from a safety and scale perspective, an outline of certain expectations or
milestones is required for the advancement of the UAM ecosystem across the Mid- andMature states. Ultimately, these milestones lead to TSP/PSU enabled UAM Operations
within a broader novel set of Automated Flight Operations or AFO.
It is important to acknowledge that the rulemaking effort, as outlined in Table 3, will
span beyond UAM and involve the entire aviation industry. The new set of flight rules
will make use of increased automation in the airspace, industry-wide technologicaladvances, and aviation system maturation to improve operational scalability andachieve operational benefits of all flight operations worldwide.
While this document only reflects on the UAM use case of the AFO paradigm, theintroduction of new flight rules will be all-encompassing to a variety of use cases (i.e.,
regional air mobility, large transport, etc.). More detail on the AFO paradigm will be
introduced and expanded upon in a separate publication.
In the context of current FAA activities, AFO and the underlying infrastructure necessary
to integrate with existing users and support at-scale UAM operations are reflected in
the Agency’s 2022 Info-Centric National Air System (ICN) initial Concept of Operations.
Within the ICN vision, the FAA has laid out a vision in which legacy Air Traffic
Management Services co-exist alongside Extensible Traffic Management Services(xTM) supporting UAM. Table 3 provides an outlook for how stakeholders may evolve
towards at-scale UAM AFO operations:

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Table 3. UAM Roadmap to Operations at Scale
Initial UAM

Now

Midterm UAM
IFR-expandedOps

VFR Ops

Initial AFO

Mature UAM

AFO(this ConOps)

ATS Routes

Regular TRoutes (incl. TKZK Routes)

Regular TRoutes catered
to eVTOL aircraft

UAM RNP Routes with between
operator coordination for spacing andsequencing

RNP 0.3
Corridors

Terminal IFPs

Non-Precision
Point in Space(PinS)
Approaches

Precision Approach and Departure
Procedures(akin RNP AR APCH/DEP)

Initial Point-toPoint AFO
Corridors

Dynamic AFO
Corridors

RNP 0.3

RNP 0.1

Integration with
Initial Point-toPoint AFO
Corridors

Integration with
Dynamic AFO
Corridors

MVS(average ofthree aircraft)

MVS(many aircraft)

Modifications to TERPS
Pilot

Onboard

C2 Links

Onboard

MVS(up to threeaircraft)Establishment of reliable C2 Links for BVLOS operations (i.e., ground UHF/CBand, Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite

TSP/PSU

Initial PSU
Prototype Trials

Initial Certified PSU functions
deployed (i.e., flight planning,
integrated operating picture,
conformance monitoring, etc.) w/o
separation services (e.g., ATCmaintains separation resp.)

Vertiport
Automation
SystemInitial VAS Trials

VAS Trials
supported byinitial PSU
integration

FIMS

AFO

Rev 2.0

Trials for ATMxTM Info Centric
NAS Architecture

PSU Certified
Separation
Services
operating within
AFO Corridors

VAS Deployment with some PSU
integration

Initial certification
for data
exchange andxTM

Concept Maturation

PSU Certified
capabilities
deployed atscale as part ofInfo Centric NAS

At-scaleInteroperable
Vertiports

Deployment for data exchange andxTM

InitialRulemaking

FederalRegulations for
new Flight Rules

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Glossary
Acronym or Term

Definition

AAM

Advanced Air Mobility

ADS-B

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast

AFO

Automated Flight Operations

AGL

Above Ground Level

AIM

Aeronautical Information Manual

ATAR

Air-To-Air RadarATCAir Traffic Control

ATM

Air Traffic Management

C2

Command and Control

CNS

Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance

DAA

Detect and Avoid

EASA

European Union Aviation Safety Agency

ELZ

Emergency Landing Zone

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration

FATO

Final Approach and Takeoff

FBO

Fixed-Base Operator

FM

Fleet Manager

FOC

Fleet Operations Center

FOD

Foreign Object Debris

GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite System

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Acronym or Term

Definition

GPS

Global Positioning System

IAP

Instrument Approach Procedures

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organization

IFP

Instrument Flight Procedures

IFR

Instrument Flight Rules

IMC

Instrument Meteorological Conditions

IOP

Integrated Operating Picture

LHA

Landing Hazard Avoidance

LOA

Letters of Agreement

MMS

Mission Management System

MVS

Multi-Vehicle Supervisor

NAS

National Air SpaceNASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NOTAM

Notice to Airmen

PBN

Performance-Based Navigation

PinS

Point-In-Space Approach

PNT

Position, Navigation, and Timing

PSU

Provider of Services for UAM

RNP

Required Navigation Performance

SID

Standard Instrument Departure

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Acronym or Term

Definition

SOP

Standard Operating Procedure

SWIM

System Wide Information Management

TERPS

United States Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures

TLOF

Touchdown and Liftoff

TSP

Third-Party Service Provider

TSO

Technical Standard Order

UAM

Urban Air Mobility

VAS

Vertiport Automation System

VFR

Visual Flight Rules

VHF

Very High Frequency

VM

Vertiport Manager

VMC

Visual Meteorological Conditions

VMS

Vehicle Management System

VoIP

Voice Over Internet Protocol

xTM

Extensible Traffic Management

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References
14 CFR Part 91 - GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES, Subpart B - Flight Rules
14 CFR § 91.103 - Preflight action
14 CFR § 91.111 - Operating near other aircraft
14 CFR § 91.113 - Right-of-way rules: Except water operations
14 CFR § 91.181 - Course to be flown
14 CFR Part 121 - OPERATING REQUIREMENTS: DOMESTIC, FLAG, AND
SUPPLEMENTAL OPERATIONS
14 CFR Part 135 - OPERATING REQUIREMENTS: COMMUTER AND ON DEMAND
OPERATIONS AND RULES GOVERNING PERSONS ON BOARD SUCH AIRCRAFT
14 CFR Part 295 - AIR CHARTER BROKERS
14 CFR Part 380 - PUBLIC CHARTERS
Advisory Circular AC-150/5390/2C, Heliport Design
RTCA DO-200A, Standards for Processing Aeronautical Data
RTCA DO-272C, User Requirements for Aerodrome Mapping Information
RTCA DO-276B, User Requirements for Terrain and Obstacle Data
RTCA DO-291B, Interchange Standards for Terrain, Obstacle, and Aerodrome Mapping
Data
RTCA DO-326A, Airworthiness Security Process Specification
RTCA DO-356A, Airworthiness Security Methods and Considerations
RTCA DO-362A, Command and Control (C2) Data Link Minimum Operational
Performance Standard (Terrestrial)
RTCA DO-365B, Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for Detect andAvoid (DAA) Systems, Minimum Performance Standards for Unmanned Aircraft System
RTCA DO-377A, Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards for C2 Link
Systems Supporting Operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in U.S. Airspace
TSO-C211, Detect and Avoid (DAA) Systems
TSO-C212, Air-to-Air Radar (ATAR) for Traffic Surveillance
TSO-C213, Unmanned Aircraft Systems Control and Non-Payload Communications
Terrestrial Link System Radios

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Bibliography
This bibliography identifies sources that influenced the development of this ConOps but
are not directly cited in document.
Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM)
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14
EUROCAE - Concept of Operations for VTOL Aircraft – Volume 2: Commercial
Passenger Air Taxi Transport
FAA UAM ConOps v1.0
FAA UAM ConOps v2.0
FAA UTM ConOps v2.0
FAA Info-Centric National Air System (ICN) initial Concept of Operations
FAA UTM Pilot Program Technical Report
Guide to the Preparation of Operation Concept Documents
NASA Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Portal
NASA ATD-2 Phase 1 ConUse
NASA/Deloitte UML-4 ConOps v1.0
NASA/NUAIR Vertiport ConOps v1.0
NAS Storyboards

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For more information
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