Loretta Alkalay, aviation attorney and Vaughn adjunct professor, was recently featured in the summer edition of Vertical Space Magazine, a publication discussing a wide field of topics within the aviation industry. Alkalay was an attorney for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for more than 30 years, more than 20 of those years as regional counsel in New York. She has previously been featured in other publications including Bloomberg Law and the New York Times. She specializes in issues related to compliance with federal aviation regulations including drone rules.

Alkalay’s article discussed the FAA’s final ruling requiring an expansion to the number of private pilots and commercial air tour operators required to establish and maintain safety management systems (SMS). SMS is vital to managing safety in aviation, management and engineering by providing a systematic approach to managing critical issues. Professionals who implement SMS can identify and mitigate safety risks in daily operations, improving overall safety performance. The new ruling officially took effect beginning May 28 for new applicants.

According to Alkalay, the FAA ruling is a significant change that future advanced air mobility and manufacturers need to follow. Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft intending on carrying passengers and cargo will now have to abide by the new FAA ruling.

To read Alkalay’s article, click here.