Lilium receives design approval from EASA
Lilium has received Design Organisation Approval from EASA further clearing the pathway towards type certification of its eVTOL.
The approval means the German eVTOL aircraft developer is now authorised to hold a type certificate awarded by EASA. The DOA reflects a seal of quality assurance, acting as a formal acknowledgment of a firm’s ability to design and develop safe and compliant aircraft, said EASA. The DOA award is the result of work dating back to 2017.
“In many respects, today’s announcement marks a cornerstone for Lilium and evidences our market leadership in advancing the aviation industry. Achieving DOA reflects EASA’s confidence in Lilium and differentiates us against others currently pursuing eVTOL development and regulatory approval,” said Klaus Roewe, Lilium CEO.
“While we join a small, select group of companies qualified to develop commercial aircraft, today’s announcement is especially significant for the global aviation industry as we are doing so by advancing sustainable regional air mobility. I appreciate the many Lilians and countless stakeholders who have played a pivotal role in us achieving today’s milestone, and we look forward to further advancements toward the commercialisation of the Lilium Jet,” he added.
According to Lilium’s DOA, the OEM is qualified to design and be a type certificate holder for aircraft developed according to EASA’s SC-VTOL rules, the set of eVTOL requirements that EASA finalised in 2019.
Alastair McIntosh, Lilium CTO and head of Design Organisation, said: “In simple terms, the DOA is our Licence to Operate and confirms that Lilium has the organisation, procedures, competencies, resources, and demonstrated rigour required to design and certify aircraft according to the very highest safety standards. This pays great tribute to our team at Lilium. Receiving DOA from EASA further motivates us on our path to commercialise the revolutionary Lilium Jet.”
Lilium is also pursuing concurrent type certification with the FAA under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the EU and the US. The FAA issued its G-1 for the Lilium Jet in June, making Lilium the only manufacturer with both an EASA and FAA certification basis for a powered lift eVTOL aircraft.
Bhavesh Mandalia, Lilium chief airworthiness officer and Deputy CTO, added: “Today’s announcement has been more than six years in the making. I’d like to thank my fellow Lilians as well as our partners at EASA for their continued support on this journey. In addition to European oversight, EASA’s DOA brings significant benefits to our FAA certification process in the US by utilising the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreements to validate the technology and aircraft.”
Luc Tytgat, acting Executive Director, EASA said: “EASA is ensuring that everything is in place for the societal acceptance of UAM. We are setting the right rules for operations and taking care of the environmental elements including noise, while of course ensuring that high safety standards are met. At the same time, we are wary of creating barriers to entering this new market and we have worked in partnership with Lilium, against a demanding timeline. I would like to congratulate Lilium on achieving this DOA, which advances Europe’s electric aviation activity.”
