The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) made history today by becoming the first regulatory authority worldwide to publish a regulation for the operation of air taxis in the urban environment, which will be open for public consultation until September 30, 2022 (see document at the end of the article).
This comes as more manufacturers move forward with plans to achieve certification of their vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft within a few years, which the industry says will contribute to the «smart, green and digital cities» initiative led by the European Commission.
The handbook covers aspects related to equipment airworthiness, air operations, crew licensing and rules of the air, complementing current regulations on UAS (unmanned aircraft), the unmanned traffic management system known in Europe as U-space and the certification of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capable aircraft, as well as EASA guidance on the design of vertiports.
«With this, EASA becomes the first aeronautical regulatory authority worldwide to publish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the operations of VTOL-capable aircraft, which will provide air cab and similar services,» said EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky.
«The publication reinforces the leadership EASA is showing in this area of innovation. At the same time, we have done our best to address the general concerns of society and the expectations of EU citizens with regard to safety, security, privacy, environment and noise,» he added.
The regulations were developed following what they call a «step-by-step approach» adjusted to the reality of new equipment in manufacturers’ portfolios, with future concepts such as VTOL aircraft without human pilots on board being left out of them.
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