Otto Aerospace Advances Phantom 3500 Program with FAA Certification Baseline Milestone | News
Otto Aerospace has announced a major regulatory milestone for its flagship Phantom 3500 program: closure of the G-1 Issue Paper, which establishes the aircraft’s basis for certification with the Federal Aviation Administration under 14 CFR Part 23.
The completion of the G-1 Issue Paper marks an important step in the Phantom 3500 program by clearly establishing the regulatory framework for type certification.
Otto became an FAA type certification applicant in September 2025 and strategically chose to use Part 23 to take advantage of the certification efficiencies introduced under Amendment 23-64. The closure of the G-1 reflects that strategy now being implemented.
At the same time, Otto is actively involved with the FAA East Certification Branch to finalize the G-2 Issue Paper defining the compliance methods for the Phantom 3500 certification program.
“This is a huge moment for the entire Otto team and a very exciting milestone for the Phantom 3500,” said Scott Drennan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Otto Aerospace. “Now that the certification foundation is in place, the program is moving into high gear in terms of execution. We are aligned with the FAA on what we need to demonstrate, and that really gives us momentum as we move towards first flight and entry into service.”
The milestone also reflects the FAA’s continued commitment to Otto’s groundbreaking transonic laminar flow technology and its Supernatural Vision cabin – innovations that no manufacturer has previously achieved in certification at Otto’s scale. Otto has continued to develop the program through extensive testing and engineering and recently completed preliminary design review.
“We appreciate the FAA’s continued commitment to achieving this milestone,” said Kerri Hinton, director of Test & Certification at Otto Aerospace. “Our commitment to safety is unwavering and we look forward to continuing our work together as we advance the Phantom 3500 through certification.”
Otto has already begun advanced materials testing for the Phantom 3500 and continues to make strong progress with its top suppliers, strengthening the program’s momentum toward first flight in 2027 and entry into service in 2030. The flight testing will be conducted from Otto’s new home at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida, positioning the company for the next phase of deployment and production. The program is anchored by a strong order from Flexjet for 300 aircraft – one of the largest commitments in business aviation history, valued at more than $5 billion – underscoring the exceptional market confidence behind Otto’s vision.
