DART has published its official summary paper from the 2026 LIFT Summit, distilling three days of programming — 17 panels and keynotes, 257 attendees, and 22 sponsors — into a single strategic synthesis built around the Summit’s three core themes: Policy, Workforce, and Infrastructure.

A National Conversation, Grounded in Monterey

Held March 31–April 2 in Monterey, the Summit brought together federal officials, state agencies, OEM engineers, and workforce developers to work through what it will take for advanced air mobility (AAM) to scale responsibly. The paper captures that conversation in full: the AAM National Strategy’s seven pillars, Part 108 and Part 146 rulemaking, community engagement models, talent pipeline gaps, vertiport financing, and the electrical and weather infrastructure the sector still needs to build.

“We’re at an inflection point — moving from ‘if’ advanced air mobility will happen to ‘how, when, and how fast we make it happen.” — Josh Metz, DART Executive Director

Why It Matters for Monterey Bay

The paper makes the case that Monterey Bay’s six years of regional coordination — anchoring OEMs like Joby, Archer, and Wisk alongside DART’s workforce pipelines — offer a model other regions are already studying. It closes with a clear-eyed look ahead: by LIFT 2027, this year’s projections around eIPP flight operations, rulemaking finalization, and weather ADSP certification will be tested against reality.

Want to be part of the conversation next year? Registration for the 2027 LIFT Summit (March 23–25, Monterey Marriott) is now open at liftsummit.org.