SDC2026: Advanced Air Mobility, AI and the Technologies Transforming Tomorrow

March 24, 2026

Electric aircraft, artificial intelligence (AI) and eVTOL infrastructure aren’t emerging trends – they’re actively reshaping how business aviation operates.

“Advanced Air Mobility, AI and Emerging Tech: What’s Next,” taking place at 1:30 p.m. March 25 at the 2026 NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2026), will offer attendees valuable insights into the latest advancements shaping the industry, emphasizing the rapid evolution of both technology and regulatory frameworks that are redefining what’s possible in air mobility.

Panelists Toni Drummond, Future Flight Global; Will Wheeler, Southern Company; Toby Woods, Direct2Aero; and Roger Zhan, Floating Fleet, led by moderator Heidi Williams, NBAA’s vice president of air traffic services and infrastructure, will provide an overview of the emerging technology landscape, including drone operations, the new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) and automation.

Panelists will also discuss expectations of the recent Part 108 rulemaking, “Normalizing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations (BVLOS).” By establishing regulatory requirements for BVLOS, the industry expects increased operational flexibility, safety, and innovation, as well as a reduction in reliance on waivers and exemptions.

“It’s important to note that we can’t see scaled UAS operations without a clear regulatory framework that allows for operations beyond waivers and exemptions, and more expansive BVLOS operations,” said Williams. “We also think the lessons learned from UAS operations can inform AAM operations in eVTOL aircraft. For example, some lessons learned from the UAS Integration Pilot Program, or IPP, can be carried into the new eVTOL IPP recently launched by the DOT and FAA.”

Read NBAA’s comments to the FAA about the proposed BVLOS rules.

The eIPP now includes partnerships with state governments across 26 states and a range of developers and manufacturers such as Archer, BETA, Electra, Joby, Reliable Robotics and Wisk. Their collaborative efforts are aimed at safely introducing autonomous flight and other innovative technologies into the National Airspace System, ultimately paving the way for more efficient, sustainable and accessible air transportation solutions. Learn more about eIPP.

AI is another area of great interest to the scheduler and dispatcher community over the past several years. The panel will discuss the fundamentals of automation vs AI and how we are already seeing AI deployed in the scheduling and dispatching functions and in operational planning.

“Automation and AI will inevitably impact the roles of schedulers and dispatchers but can be leveraged to make decision making easier, safer and more efficient,” said Williams. “Meanwhile, the expansion of UAS, enabled by automation, may lead to new roles in the industry, including ‘remote pilot dispatch’ roles to support increased UAS operations.”

Panelists also will share best practices for controlling data sharing and ensuring compliance and security, as well as opportunities and downsides for today’s aviation professionals who proactively engage with these emerging technologies.

View the full SDC2026 program and don’t miss this session at 1:30 p.m. March 25.