The U.S. Transportation Department has announced 12 new appointments to the Federal Aviation Administration Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee (AAAC). The committee provides advice on key drone and Advanced Air Mobility issues.

Members are executives and stakeholders who represent a variety of drone and AAM interests, including industry, research, academia, retail, technology and state and local government. In addition, for the first time, the AAAC will include members able to raise awareness of potential impacts to communities, and advise on approaches that advance emerging aviation models while respecting neighboring communities.

The new members are:

• Edward Bolen, Chief Executive Officer, National Business Aviation Association
• Jeffrey Keith Antonio Brown, Aviation Chief Operating Officer, Port of Seattle
• Kevin Cox, Chief Executive Officer, Ferrovial Vertiports
• Karthik Duraisamy, Professor of Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan & Founder and Chief Scientist, Geminus.AI
• Amit Ganjoo, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ANRA Technologies
• James Grimsley, Executive Director, Advanced Technology Initiatives-Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
• Andrew LeBovidge, Executive Vice President, National Air Traffic Controllers Associations (NATCA)
• Houston Mills, Vice President, Flight Operations and Safety, United Parcel Service (UPS) / AAAC Chair
• Okeoma Moronu, Head of Aviation Regulatory and Legal Affairs, Zipline
• Melissa Tomkiel, President and General Counsel, Blade Air Mobility
• James Viola, Chief Executive Officer, Helicopter Association International
• Yolanka Wulff, Executive Director, Community Air Mobility Initiative

This press release was prepared and distributed by the Federal Aviation Administration