Why Advanced Air Mobility Needs More Than Just Aircraft to Take Off, According to SAM's Melissa Rank

Advanced air mobility (AAM) conversations tend to gravitate toward the vehicles themselves — the eVTOL designs, the battery ranges, the certification timelines. But in a recent episode of the eVTOL Insights Podcast, host Jason Pritchard shifted the focus to something less glamorous yet arguably more decisive: the groundwork that has to exist before any of those aircraft can operate at scale. His guest was Melissa Rank, who leads aviation market strategy and programme direction at SAM, bringing a background that spans geospatial technology and the aviation sector.

Rank’s central argument is that the industry cannot treat infrastructure as an afterthought. As drone activity pushes further into low-altitude airspace, she contends that operators and regulators must bring critical infrastructure owners into the conversation much earlier. Her own work has involved direct engagement with the rail industry, where she draws a sharp line between two very different situations: organisations that fly their own drones, and those that need to prepare for third-party flights operating above or around their assets. The distinction matters because the second group often has no operational experience with aerial traffic, yet will carry significant risk exposure.

According to Rank, much of the solution rests on better information sharing. Precise mapping, up-to-date data and a common picture of what is happening in the airspace at any given moment can make integration considerably safer. She also warns of the consequences of writing aviation rules in isolation. When regulations are shaped without meaningful input from the sectors and communities that will share the same operating environment, the result can be frameworks that look sound on paper but create friction in practice.

The discussion also touches on the more optimistic side of the equation. Rank points to emerging use cases that could deliver real public value, such as disaster response and connecting remote communities that today lack reliable transport links. For her, the path to scaling AAM is not purely technical. It requires robust infrastructure, genuine public trust, and early, open dialogue with the industries and residents who will live alongside these operations.

Her message serves as a reminder that the future of flight will be shaped as much on the ground as in the air. Operators who engage early with infrastructure stakeholders may find the transition smoother, while those who wait could face delays and resistance that no amount of engineering can resolve. The full conversation is available on major podcast platforms.