It was June 2023 , when the FAA had issued Lilium with the G-1 certification basis documentation it needs to secure type certification for its eVTOL aircraft in the U.S..
According to the German manufacturer, the milestone announced on June 26 made it the only eVTOL developer to have received G-1 clearance from both the FAA and its primary airworthiness authority EASA.
In a Media Release today, the all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) maker made an important announcement that it has received Design Organization Approval from its primary regulatory authority, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (“EASA”).
Lilium said in its social media handle ,
Major milestone achieved We are thrilled to announce that we have received Design Organization Approval (DOA) from @EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
The award marks a major milestone for Lilium, positioning it at the forefront of the industry as a company authorized to hold a type-certificate for an eVTOL aircraft in Europe.
As per Lilium, it is in continuous progress to achieve initial type certification by EASA for the six-passenger Lilium Jet in late 2025. Under the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the European Union and the U.S., the company then expects to receive concurrent approval from the FAA.
Klaus Roewe, Lilium CEO, commented:
“In many respects, today’s announcement marks a cornerstone for Lilium and evidences our market leadership in advancing the aviation industry. Achieving Design Organization Approval reflects EASA’s confidence in Lilium and differentiates us against others currently pursuing eVTOL development and regulatory approval. 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 commercialization of the Lilium Jet. I would like to thank our counterparts at EASA for their professional cooperation, which I believe will continue to be very beneficial for the industry moving forward.”
Alastair McIntosh, Lilium Chief Technology Officer and Head of Design Organisation, added:
“In simple terms, the Design Organization Approval is our Licence to Operate and confirms that Lilium has the organization, procedures, competencies, resources, and demonstrated rigor required to design and certify aircraft according to the very highest safety standards."
"This pays great tribute to our team at Lilium. Receiving Design Organization Approval from EASA further motivates us on our path to commercialize the revolutionary Lilium Jet.”
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There are essentially four stages to the FAA's G-1 process, starting when a company files an application for the issue paper. The second stage is when the FAA initially grants this, which starts a process in which the company submits a response to what the agency is proposing ahead of the public consultation and confirmation of the basis for certification.
Few chose to conduct a dialog with the FAA ahead of applying for the G-1 and, in the case of new eVTOL developers, they can benefit from seeing what is said in the public consultation around other companies' applications.
Back in June 2023, Alastair McIntosh had said,
“We are the first powered-lift eVTOL pioneer in our industry holding a certification basis from EASA and the FAA,” “This is a major step towards our goal of achieving early certification of our aircraft in key markets to support a worldwide entry into service.”
On the current development, Bhavesh Mandalia, Lilium Chief Airworthiness Officer and Deputy CTO, commented:
“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 Design Organization Approval brings significant benefits to our FAA certification process in the U.S. by utilizing 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 Urban Air Mobility. 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 Design Organization Approval, which advances Europe’s electric aviation activity.”
According to Lilium’s Design Organization Approval, Lilium is qualified to design and be a type certificate holder for aircraft developed according to EASA’s SC-VTOL rules, the comprehensive set of eVTOL requirements that EASA finalized in 2019 and which represent the highest safety objectives globally for eVTOL aircraft.
The company is also one of a few eVTOL vehicle developers , seeking concurrent approval on both sides of the Atlantic, with others including the UK’s Vertical Aerospace.
Lilium said,
The FAA issued its G-1 for the Lilium Jet in June, making Lilium the only eVTOL manufacturer with both an EASA and FAA certification basis for a powered lift eVTOL aircraft.
However, the FAA is cautious and taking a different approach to assessing airworthiness approvals for the new category of aircraft basing its approach on Part 21.17(b) rules rather than Part 23.
U.S. based manufacturers Joby and Archer have both received G-1 issue papers on this basis, and in February Joby reported that it has now completed the second of five stages to establish the means of compliance for its aircraft.
Source and Pictures : Lilium.
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