Aviation Innovation and Global Competitiveness Act

This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to update its type certification process to support new aviation technologies. It requires the FAA to publish a plan to improve transparency, set standard timelines for certification milestones, amend criteria for issue papers, and issue updated delegation guidance. The bill also includes a sense of Congress on U.S. leadership in aviation and a rule of construction limiting legal rights and judicial review of timelines.

Sec. 2, Transparency of the FAA type certification process: Within 180 days, the FAA Administrator must publish a public plan to improve the issue paper process, maximize use of industry consensus standards, create stable policy on common subjects, and consider performance-based standards. Within 270 days, the Administrator must amend FAA order 8110.112A to establish standard expected timelines for major certification milestones, including issue paper development, special condition rulemaking, responses to exemption petitions, and applicant responses. These timelines do not apply to complex issues presenting an unsafe condition. The Administrator must consult with trade associations, advanced air mobility stakeholders, airport and vertiport infrastructure providers, certified bargaining representatives of FAA safety inspectors, and other relevant organizations. Within 180 days after establishing timelines, and annually thereafter, the Administrator must report to Congress on implementation status, including performance metrics, internal review processes, instances where timelines were exceeded, and progress on stable policy.

Sec. 3, Criteria for FAA issue papers: Within 180 days, the Administrator must amend FAA order 8110.112A to include specific criteria for when an issue warrants an issue paper and which FAA roles evaluate those criteria, account for performance-based rule projects requiring issue papers on means and methods of compliance, and improve efficiency by converting stable means of compliance issue papers into published policy or advisory circulars and incorporating stable issue papers for special conditions, exemptions, and equivalent level of safety findings through annual updates to product airworthiness standards. If the order is superseded, the Administrator must ensure these matters are included in a subsequent order.

Sec. 4, FAA delegation guidance: Within 90 days, the Administrator must publish updated delegation guidance for type certification of aircraft and aircraft engines. The guidance must include criteria for applicant eligibility for delegation, classification of routine versus safety-critical compliance findings, processes for documentation and management review when the FAA does not use authorized representatives, and consideration of how delegation authority ensures safety, fosters predictable certification for new technologies, and impacts U.S. global leadership.

Sec. 5, Sense of Congress on United States leadership in aviation: Congress states that the United States should continue support for advanced air mobility, U.S. innovation, and global leadership in developing and safely deploying new aviation technologies.

Sec. 6, Rule of construction: The establishment of standard expected timelines under section 2(b) does not create any new legal right, and the Administrator's adherence or failure to adhere to such timelines is not subject to judicial review.

Sec. 7, Definitions: Defines "Administrator" as the FAA Administrator, "advanced air mobility" as defined in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, and "FAA" as the Federal Aviation Administration.