Kansas outlines multi-year roadmap for advanced air mobility, highlights test sites and workforce needs

Kansas transportation and aviation officials on Tuesday outlined a multi-year strategy to prepare the state for advanced air mobility and other emerging aviation technologies, emphasizing the need for coordinated infrastructure, workforce training and regulatory alignment.

The briefing, led by Ray Steve, Director of Aviation, Kansas Department of Transportation, presented the state's AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) vision "to maintain Kansas' leadership in emerging aviation technology by creating a dynamic ecosystem to enhance connectivity, drive economic growth, expand transportation access and improve quality of life for Kansans," Steve said.

Committee members were told the state has formed an emerging aviation technology working group of roughly two to three dozen members from state agencies, academia, industry, utilities, municipalities and airports to develop a centralized strategy rather than one led by a single agency.

Officials described several implementation priorities. The state has retained the MITRE Corporation to produce a statewide implementation roadmap and market analysis that will outline phased investments, identify minimum service levels and quantify economic impacts; the study is expected in Q4 of this year, Steve said. "It's a multi year plan," he added, noting that infrastructure, regulatory standards and operations cannot be built overnight.

Kansas State University, Wichita State…