EASA Charts Future of Drone, AAM Industry With Proposed Framework

The European regulator released a 58-page proposal to craft rules and regulations for drones and eVTOL aircraft, including air taxis.

Jack Daleo

Friday, September 01, 2023 at 03:44 PM ET

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German manufacturer Volocopter’s VoloCity air taxi is one of many expected to fly at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. [Courtesy: Volocopter]

Key Takeaways:

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has submitted its final "Opinion No 03/2023" to the European Commission, proposing a comprehensive regulatory framework for what it terms "Innovative Air Mobility" (IAM) in Europe.
This framework outlines hard requirements for the certification, continued airworthiness, operations, and maintenance of emerging aircraft, including eVTOLs (called VTOL-capable aircraft or VCA) and drones.
Key proposals include new terminology (IAM, VCA), flight crew licensing (with a bridging solution for existing pilots), air traffic management, and operational rules like predefined routes for urban environments.
The opinion, driven by safety, innovation, and harmonization goals, is now under review by the European Commission, which is expected to codify the regulations.

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The FAA made a big splash when it unveiled its Innovate28 plan for advanced air mobility (AAM) operations with electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at scale by 2028. But while Innovate28 is just that—a plan—the agency’s friend across the Atlantic is already proposing hard requirements for AAM certification, operations, and maintenance.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Thursday shared its final opinion on rules and regulations for eVTOL air taxis, drones, and other emerging aircraft with the European Commission. Now, the ball is in the Commission’s court as it determines whether to accept EASA’s policy recommendations.