Integrating Urban Air Mobility Into Commercial Airspace: A Bibliometric Review of Regulatory Challenges

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has emerged as a transformative aviation concept with the potential to alleviate ground congestion losses and redefine passenger and cargo transportation within urban environments through the deployment of electric and autonomous aerial systems. However, the integration of UAM into commercial airspace remains significantly constrained by fragmented and underdeveloped regulatory frameworks. This research investigates the challenges and gaps associated with global UAM regulatory frameworks through a multi-phase methodological approach integrating PRISMA screening, bibliometric analysis, and hybrid deductive–inductive coded literature review. Bibliometric assessment conducted using VOSviewer identified thematic evolution, academic collaboration patterns, influential contributors, and citation relationships across the existing body of knowledge. The findings indicate that current research remains predominantly technology-oriented, with comparatively limited focus on regulatory frameworks. Coding literature review identified airspace management, infrastructure, vehicle certification, and societal acceptance as the most critical regulatory challenges, while legal liability and AI governance remain substantially underexplored. The study further highlights collaborative harmonisation among regulators, policymakers, and industry stakeholders as the most widely proposed mitigation strategy. Overall, the research establishes a significant gap between technological advancement and regulatory preparedness, thereby underscoring the necessity for globally coordinated, scalable, and adaptive regulatory frameworks to support safe and sustainable UAM integration.