German electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer Lilium announced it has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its proposed basis of air taxi certification, making it what the company says is the first power-lift aircraft developer to obtain that all-clear by both US and European Union regulators.
Lilium said it had gotten G1 Certification Basis from the FAA – a foundational step required of all air taxi makers seeking eventual type approval in the US. In the more recent and limited-sized aircraft category of eVTOL planes, that approval had previously been obtained by future air taxi suppliers in the US, and from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) – but never before by both, according to Lilium.
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The EASA issued its authorization of Lilium’s basis for air taxi certification under conditions in place back in 2020. The new FAA approval, however, comes after alterations made last year to definitions applying to eVTOLs as “power lift” craft, which are akin to helicopters rather than legacy airplanes.
That tweak caused no little consternation among next-generation aerial vehicle developers, but has thus far produced no major complications for sector companies. It also posed no major headaches for Munich-based Lilium.
Indeed, despite the modification, Lilium says the FAA G1 approval of its eVTOL certification specs demonstrate the compatibility of US and EASA criteria for future air taxis. The company notes the FAA’s acceptance was obtained under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement linking the two regulators.
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Lilium added the unprecedented basis of certification approval in the US and EU also validates its long-standing strategy of pursuing eVTOL aircraft type certification concurrently.
The company is targeting 2025 to obtain its EASA approval – and launch EU air taxi services after that – before turning to the US urban air mobility market.
“We are the first powered lift eVTOL pioneer in our industry holding a Certification Basis from EASA and the FAA,” said Alastair McIntosh, Lilium’s chief technology officer. “This is a major step toward our goal of achieving early certification of our aircraft in key markets to support a worldwide entry into service. We are grateful to have found great partners on both sides of the pond to electrify the skies. As per FAA practice, there will now be a collaborative process where Lilium and EASA provide feedback to the FAA before the G-1 is issued for public consultation. We look forward to continued collaboration with the FAA and EASA.”
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