EASA Issues ‘World’s First’ Design Specs on eVTOL Vertiports
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issues the “world’s first” design guidance for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, as the FAA lags behind.
EASA’s new prototype technical design specifications are specific to emerging electric, urban air mobility, and advanced air mobility aircraft. [Courtesy EASA]
Key Takeaways:
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published the "world's first" official design specifications for vertiports, the ground infrastructure needed for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis.
This guidance precedes the FAA's similar efforts and is considered crucial for the success and scalability of the nascent eVTOL air taxi industry, which faces significant infrastructure challenges.
EASA's 179-page document provides urban planners and the industry with specifications for safe vertiport design, particularly in "obstacle populated environments," including unique "obstacle-free volume" (OFV) zones.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued what it calls the “world’s first” official guidance for building vertiports for air taxis and other electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
It’s the first publication of its kind, coming three weeks after the FAA published a draft engineering brief on the topic asking for industry input.
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Thom is a former senior editor for FLYING. Previously, his freelance reporting appeared in aviation industry magazines. Thom also spent three decades as a TV and digital journalist at CNN’s bureaus in Washington and Atlanta, eventually specializing in aviation. He has reported from air shows in Oshkosh, Farnborough and Paris. Follow Thom on Twitter @thompatterson.
