Regulatory Alert: FAA Releases Draft Vertical Flight Design Standards; Announces Virtual Industry Day
October 22, 2026
Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released draft Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5390-4, Vertical Flight Infrastructure Design, which provides updated design standards for facilities serving helicopters, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and other vertical flight aircraft. In a notable shift for the agency, the draft AC combines the FAA’s existing heliport and vertiport design guidance into a single document and introduces changes to landing area dimensions, approach and departure paths, aircraft parking, and safety considerations related to aircraft downwash and outwash.
The draft AC includes guidance for integrating vertical flight infrastructure at existing airports, including runway separation, wake turbulence, lighting and markings, and infrastructure for aircraft fueling and electric charging. The document addresses elevated and rooftop facilities and establishes caution areas intended to protect people and property from potentially hazardous aircraft downwash and outwash. As part of its announcement today, FAA noted that operational experience and data collected through the ongoing eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) will help inform future updates to the design standards.
FAA is requesting industry feedback on the proposed standards, with written comments due by Monday, January 11, 2027. Comments must be submitted using the FAA’s comment matrix and emailed to vertiports@faa.gov. The FAA will also hold a virtual industry day on Tuesday, November 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST, to discuss the proposed guidance and answer questions. Registration is required, and questions should be submitted in advance by Monday, November 2. Additional information is available in the FAA’s industry letter.
Background. In 2022, FAA released Engineering Brief (EB) 105, Vertiport Design, establishing interim design guidance for facilities serving eVTOL aircraft. FAA subsequently issued EB 105A in 2024, incorporating additional research and operational data. These documents supplemented the FAA’s existing heliport design guidance under AC 150/5390-2D, Heliport Design, published in January 2023. However, FAA has been under pressure to develop more comprehensive design vertiport standards and combine the heliport and vertiport standards into a single document.
Under the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, Congress directed FAA to update its vertiport design guidance and develop performance-based standards. The newly released draft AC builds on those efforts and, once finalized, will replace both AC 150/5390-2D and EB 105A. Although ACs generally provide voluntary guidance, the proposed standards would apply to certain federally funded airport projects, including projects supported through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) program.
What’s Next? FAA will hold its virtual industry day on November 10, and written comments on the draft AC are due Monday, January 11, 2027. FAA anticipates releasing the final standards in summer 2027.
The AAAE Emerging Aviation Technologies Working Group will be hosting its next meeting on Tuesday, November 10, at 3:00 p.m. EST to discuss the draft AC in greater detail. We will be working closely with our members to determine whether to submit comments to FAA on the draft AC. Please feel free to contact Megan Eisenstein if you would like to participate in the WG meeting or if you have any questions or comments on the draft AC.
