RETHINKING STATE CONTROL OF AIRSPACE SOVEREIGNTY IN ADVANCED AERIAL MOBILITY

Abstract

Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) is reshaping the future of transportation through the development of air taxis, autonomous aerial systems, and AI-enabled low-altitude operations. While these innovations create new opportunities for urban mobility, they also expose structural weaknesses in existing air law frameworks. Current legal regimes remain largely designed for conventional aviation and are not fully equipped to address fragmented governance, overlapping regulatory authority, and challenges to the operational effectiveness of state control over airspace. This study examines whether the traditional concept of state control over airspace remains operationally and institutionally adequate in the era of AAM and identifies governance reforms needed to respond to AI-enabled and low-altitude air mobility operations. Using a normative legal method, this research analyses international air law principles, selected national regulatory models, and recent policy developments on AAM. The study finds that the main challenge lies not merely in regulatory gaps but in governance gaps caused by dispersed authority, inconsistent standards, and unclear accountability among multiple actors. The article argues that state sovereignty over airspace must be operationalized through a coordinated, state-led but networked governance model based on institutional integration, data interoperability, and real-time oversight. This approach provides a practical pathway for preserving effective state control while enabling responsible innovation in future air mobility.