Aviation Policy Leader Scott O’Brien Joins Reliable Robotics as VP of Legislative Affairs

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Reliable Robotics, a leader in autonomous aircraft systems, today announced the addition of Scott O’Brien to drive legislative and advocacy efforts. O’Brien brings 18 years of wide-ranging experience in grassroots initiatives, legislative strategy and public policy analysis to his new role as Vice President of Legislative Affairs. He will focus on creating an ecosystem to advance aviation safety through airborne autonomy and remotely piloted aircraft, key enablers of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Near-term, O’Brien will represent Reliable before Capitol Hill and the Administration, along with industry associations to prioritize safety technologies that will prevent common aviation accidents.

“Scott’s leadership has increased visibility for AAM, resulting in several victories for the industry including U.S. House passage of legislation that will help safely integrate those operations into the nation’s transportation system,” said Robert Rose, Co-founder and CEO at Reliable Robotics. “He brings significant experience working with stakeholders and coalitions on complex aviation policy challenges, FAA regulatory issues and setting federal and state transportation policy.”

Prior to joining Reliable, O’Brien was Senior Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) in Washington, D.C. where he advocated for the safety, efficiency and acceptance of business aviation before members of Congress, federal regulators and state legislators. During his tenure, he formulated a successful legislative strategy for NBAA’s AAM Roundtable, including House passage of the Advanced Aviation Infrastructure Modernization Act. He also regularly represented NBAA before the Treasury Department and IRS on aviation tax issues.

In 2017, O’Brien led an industry coalition that secured congressional passage of legislation benefiting aircraft management companies and Part 135 air charter operators. Also, he worked closely with general aviation stakeholders on the passage of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization bill. Earlier in his career, O’Brien was with the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) where he was responsible for management of the association’s bi-annual Board of Governors meetings.

"Airborne autonomy and remotely piloted aircraft can deliver aviation safety benefits today and better utilize our network of more than 5,000 public-use airports, both of which have been my priorities for more than a decade," said Scott O'Brien, Head of Legislative Affairs at Reliable Robotics. "I'm thrilled to work with an accomplished team committed to making the future of aviation safer and more accessible."

Reliable Robotics is actively recruiting world-class talent with career opportunities across engineering disciplines at https://reliable.co/careers/.

About Reliable Robotics

Reliable Robotics launched in 2017 to bring certified autonomous vehicles to commercial aviation as soon as possible. The company’s automation system enables remote operation of any aircraft type and will expand access to more locations. Reliable’s vision is to transform the way we move goods and people around the planet with safer, more convenient and more affordable air transportation. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and has a distributed global workforce. Learn more and see job openings at https://reliable.co.

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