Michigan AAM Readiness Index: Michigan Airports Show Strong Interest — but Limited Understanding — in Advanced Air Mobility

Theme: Understanding — Where Are Michigan Airports Today?

The Michigan AAM Readiness Survey, developed by Thelenwood Consulting, provides the first statewide baseline of awareness and preparedness among airports for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

What’s Up will feature key findings from the survey — offering a snapshot of where Michigan’s aviation community stands today, and how we can collectively advance readiness through shared knowledge, collaboration, and strategic investment.

Image courtesy of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation. “Vertiports and Vertistops.” Retrieved November 2025 from faa.gov.

Thelenwood Consulting’s AAM Readiness Index highlights opportunities for education, collaboration, and strategic partnerships across the state.

As Michigan continues to position itself as a leader in future mobility, a new statewide survey by Thelenwood Consulting reveals both promise and growing pains in the journey toward Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) readiness.The Michigan AAM Readiness Index Survey — the first assessment of its kind — gathered responses from airports of all sizes to gauge awareness, preparedness, and partnership capacity around AAM technologies, policies, and infrastructure needs.The results show strong enthusiasm but limited understanding: The average foundational knowledge score was just 24% , suggesting that while interest is high, most airports are still early in their AAM learning curve.

Key Findings: A Foundation to Build On

The survey found that airports across Michigan already have strong technical foundations — many with well-developed infrastructure systems (ILS, AWOS) and existing relationships with state and regional partners. However, readiness gaps persist when it comes to translating this foundation into AAM-specific planning, partnerships, and policy alignment.

Strengths	Opportunities
Solid baseline in traditional aviation systems (ILS, AWOS)	Limited understanding of FAA AAM rulemaking (Part 107 & 108)
Familiarity with drone and emerging aircraft technologies	Low awareness of available AAM funding mechanisms
Growing interest in inter-agency and public-private collaboration	Minimal structured community-engagement planning
High interest in partnerships with state and industry actors (OFME, MEDC, OEMs, universities)	Limited knowledge of existing AAM ecosystem players and partnership pathways
Readiness to explore data-sharing and UAS monitoring pilots	Need for clearer guidance on how to initiate partnerships or align projects with active funding programs

These insights reveal a common theme: airports are ready to participate, but they don’t yet have a clear roadmap for how to engage. Nearly half of all respondents expressed strong interest in forming partnerships with OEMs, research institutions, and state agencies — yet fewer than one in three could name a specific AAM stakeholder, company, or program operating in Michigan. Similarly, many respondents indicated awareness of AAM’s potential to strengthen emergency response and logistics, but lacked familiarity with key policy frameworks such as FAA Part 107 (commercial UAS operations) and the upcoming Part 108 (AAM and eVTOL integration).

Building the Bridge Between Awareness and Action

“Airports are eager to collaborate but lack clear visibility into who’s leading, funding, or enabling AAM activity in Michigan,” said Aaron Thelenwood, Founder of Thelenwood Consulting. “That’s exactly where our focus is — helping airports move from curiosity to capability.”

To close these gaps, Thelenwood Consulting is developing an AAM 101 Primer for Airports & Stakeholders — a structured educational resource designed to:

• Demystify AAM technologies and operations

• Clarify regulatory and funding pathways

• Highlight key industry and state partners

• Provide practical steps for engagement and project initiation

(if you feel more needs to be done around AAM knowledge sharing, please take a moment to complete this brief two minute survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MI_AAM_Primer_2025)

What Comes Next

The Michigan AAM Readiness Index will continue to release themed insights in future editions of What’s Up, including topics like:

• Infrastructure & Site Readiness

• Policy & Regulatory Awareness

• Community Engagement & Public Perception

• Funding & Partnership Development

Together, these efforts are building a shared foundation for AAM growth in Michigan — ensuring that when the technology and regulations are ready, Michigan’s airports and communities will be, too.

📍 Request your airport’s individual readiness profile (custom summary + next steps)

🔗 Haven’t participated yet? Take the Michigan AAM Readiness Survey → (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MI_AAMIndex_2025)