Market Survey/Request for Information for the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies

Background
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is focused on providing the safest and most efficient aerospace system globally. To support this mission, the FAA is incrementally integrating Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and evaluating various technologies and use cases for future operations. As mandated by Section 961 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, the FAA is establishing the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies (CAAT) by September 30, 2026.

This Market Survey/Request for Information (RFI) aims to inform industry about the FAA's plans for a CAAT airspace laboratory, flight demonstration zones, and testing corridors to advance AAM and emerging aviation technologies.

Work Details
The FAA intends to implement a CAAT airspace laboratory, flight demonstration zones, and testing corridors to facilitate the testing and advancement of AAM technologies. The tasks include:

- Assessing integration of regular AAM flights with existing air traffic;
- Evaluating complex use cases and high-volume AAM operations;
- Exploring advanced concepts like urban air mobility (UAM) cooperative areas;
- Determining air traffic requirements for AAM operations;
- Simulating performance of new aircraft technologies in NAS environments;
- Testing new aircraft technologies under various environmental conditions;
- Validating vertiport standards;
- Ensuring safe application of new aircraft technologies to promote public acceptance.

The RFI seeks information from industry, academia, research entities, and government bodies regarding their capabilities and interest in supporting these initiatives.

Place of Performance
The FAA is interested in communities or regions with a strong aeronautical presence, particularly those near large commercial airports or logistics centers, existing FAA facilities, or areas suitable for advanced aviation technology testing.