The European Union’s aviation regulator, EASA, recently announced new certification guidance for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that could seriously hurt the new sector. The rules demand the same safety standard for eVTOLs as for large commercial airliners – one catastrophic failure per 1 billion flight hours or “10 to nine,” in the industry parlance, which many players view as harsh. Archer Aviation’s CEO, Adam Goldstein, criticised these stringent regulations for threatening the industry’s future. He called for regulations that ensured the highest level of safety and came from an ‘editable’ approach allowing companies to build around an optimal level of safety. The US Federal Aviation Administration has yet to issue guidelines for eVTOLs, though industry publications suggest that the target safety level is likely to be set at one catastrophic failure every 10 million or every 100 million flight hours.
Meanwhile, Europe and the US disappointingly compete on developing parallel certification approaches, rather than agreeing on one set of rules to support the industry universally. While European regulators argue that high safety standards are necessary and enable business protection, US regulators’ approach assumes different risks in other ways that they hope will lead to the same level of safety.
Despite the absence of unified eVTOL safety certification guidelines, Archer is one of many companies seeking approval to operate the new vehicles to provide short-haul flights for congested urban regions and longer regional flights, branding them as air taxis.
To date, California-based Archer, which went public in 2021 and holds a market cap of around $800 million, has rolled out two prototypes. Its second, Midnight, is expected to make its first test flight this summer.
In the meantime, EASA and the FAA are in talks to agree on a common certification approach towards the eVTOL industry, hoping to ensure that companies can fly between different countries. In the end, it hopes to see eVTOL rules standardized across all countries.
Summary:
Leading players in the eVTOL sector are calling out Europe’s Aviation regulator, EASA, and its new certification guidelines. Demanding the same safety standard for eVTOLs as for large commercial airliners of one catastrophic failure per 1 billion flight hours, many industry players view these stringent regulations as harsh. Conversely, US regulators’ approach assumes different risks to reach a level of safety deemed satisfactory for the emerging industry. Adam Goldstein, CEO of Archer Aviation, called for regulations that would ensure the highest level of safety, but from an ‘editable’ approach—company oriented security tailored to utilization type and the risks associated. Currently, the eVTOL industry is waiting on both the EASA and the FAA to agree on a common certification approach to support business protection across the world.
Additional piece:
The eVTOL industry has witnessed significant growth since the introduction of the first prototype in 2019. Although still in the developmental stage, many eVTOL companies are seeking out regulatory approval to operate the new concept, commonly known as the air taxi. As seen with companies like Uber in the ride-hailing space and SpaceX in satellite launches, the entry of new businesses into established industries always challenges the status quo. While new startups sometimes face regulatory hurdles and profit obstacles, established companies may suffer loss of wealth and market share. This dynamic has led to industry incumbents and policymakers overseeing these business activities being at odds with startups. The eVTOL industry is catalysing a similar dynamic.
Alongside this, as seen with traditional aviation and ticket booking sites, the emergence of new, green and clean fuel alternatives is driving a shift towards sustainability. The eVTOL industry aims to be the most eco-friendly commercial flight option. Decarbonisation is a keystone of the European Union’s growth strategy, and given that the transportation sector contributes about 27% of the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions, low-environmental-impact transportation solutions like eVTOLs are highly desirable.
Furthermore, eVTOLs could herald a new dawn in urban air transportation, and Amazon, Uber, and Tesla, among others, have invested in this high-risk, high-gain sector. Potentially, eVTOLs could revolutionize intracity traffic, benefitting commuters, economic activities, and the environment. Small, lightweight, and electrically propelled, eVTOLs bring together reliable technology to offer extensive transportation alternatives to smaller commuter destinations. They could address traffic congestion issues and expand point-to-point transport options in urban environments.
The eVTOL industry’s economic possibilities are evident, but there are environmental opportunities too. As seen with Tesla’s technological advancement and its subsequent impact on the wider automaker industry, eVTOLs may prompt further innovation in green flight technology and, ultimately, low-environmental impact machinery.
With the global eVTOL market predicted to grow at a CAGR of 21.8% between 2026 and 2030, reaching $2.4 billion in market size, it’s now more relevant than ever for industry incumbents and policymakers overseeing these business activities to support green and sustainable innovation that aligns with the needs of society.
In conclusion, eVTOL represents a new frontier in aviation that could disrupt and transform urban transport and transportation generally. Ensuring the certification of eVTOLs remains an integral part of the regulation that supports the emerging industry. Decision-makers in both the EU and the US should work towards unified, comprehensive, and sustainable certification approaches that promote growth, decarbonisation, and innovation in the industry globally.
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The head of a leading company in the race to get electric planes into the skies has struck out at Europe’s aviation regulator, warning that its rules threaten to put the fledgling sector out of business.
Adam Goldstein, chief executive of Archer Aviation, said in an interview that certification guidance published by the European Union’s Aviation Safety Agency would make it “extremely difficult” to bring the new vehicles, often described as air taxis, to market.
“EASA has openly stated: ‘We know our regulations are stricter and not good for business, and we don’t care,'” Goldstein told the Financial Times.
California-based Archer is among companies seeking approval to operate so-called electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to provide a range of services from short-haul flights over congested urban areas to longer regional flights . The company, co-founded by Goldstein, has gone public in 2021 and has a market cap of approximately $800 million.
Several companies are hoping aviation safety regulators will begin certifying their vehicles for flight as early as next year.
EASA is the only regulator to have issued formal guidance for eVTOLs offering commercial passenger services. His approach assumes relatively large flight volumes over urban areas.
The agency has asked developers to adopt the same safety standard applied to large commercial airliners: the possibility of only one catastrophic failure in 1 billion flight hours, or “10 to nine,” in the industry parlance.
Goldstein criticized the regulation as too harsh, saying it made no sense to promote an industry just “to regulate it out of business,” when it was possible to take “an approach that may still be at the highest level of safety, but . . . that is more editable to allow companies to build around.
Archer, whose second prototype, Midnight, will have its first test flight this summer, wants to build a vehicle that is “as safe as today’s commercial airliners,” Goldstein said.
EASA said in a statement: “Archer’s view is that high safety standards are not good for business. This point of view is not shared by EASA”.
The EU regulator said the safety targets it had set were based on “risk assessment” and had been “assessed as equivalent to bus safety, once eVTOL operations reach scale moderate”.
He added: ‘EASA’s view is that setting such security goals enables businesses and protects future businesses.’
The US Federal Aviation Administration has yet to publish a standard. Industry publications reported that the target safety level was likely to be set at one catastrophic failure every 10 million or every 100 million flight hours.
THE DO it said the new electric aircraft are mechanically simpler than commercial jets, allowing for a regulatory approach that uses certification standards “applicable to the size and complexity of aircraft and the types of operations involved.”
The FAA’s approach to eVTOLs is philosophically different from EASA’s, but no less secure, US officials said. The regulator believes it can achieve the same level of safety in operations without the same requirements for backup systems to be built into aircraft because it would have accounted for the risks in other ways, including counting the pilot as additional protection, according to the officials.
Goldstein said in the US, “it’s been really good for US-based companies because the regulator is so on board.”
On Wednesday, the regulator proposed rules establishing training protocols for pilots of aircraft that take off vertically and then transition to winged flight. David Boulter, FAA acting administrator for aviation safety, said the proposals “will safely usher in this new era of aviation and provide the certainty the industry needs to thrive.”
Similarly, EASA has made proposals on what kind of pilot training will be needed to enable eVTOLs to operate.
The two regulators are in talks to agree on a common certification approach towards the industry to ensure companies can fly between different regions. They will meet again next week in Cologne.
Meanwhile, disagreement over target security levels has created a point of contention among industry competitors. European companies argued in public filings filed last year that US companies should meet EASA safety standards. They also expressed concern about the lack of detail contained in the airworthiness criteria set by the FAA for some of their US rivals.
During a period of public comment, UK-based Vertical Aerospace said that due to eVTOL’s “complex aircraft systems and complex commercial operating environment,” regulators should require the safety target “from 10 to minus nine”.
Trevor Woods, director of regulatory affairs at Vertical, said the differences between regulators “will narrow as certification requirements become clearer. Ultimately, we and the rest of the industry want to see eVTOL rules standardized across all countries.”
https://www.ft.com/content/9ebbe19a-ac66-4485-bfb2-a9dc777799be
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