UK Adopts EASA's Special Conditions Approach to Certifying VTOL Aircraft

The UK Civil Aviation Authority's deferral to EASA's standards marks a turnaround in post-Brexit policy after the country left the EU, thereby ending its membership in the European regulatory agency.

Vertical Aerospace VA-X4 eVTOL aircraft. — Vertical Aerospace aims to achieve concurrent UK and European type certification for its four-passenger VX4 eVTOL aircraft. (Image Vertical Aerospace)

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

June 17, 2022

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) this week confirmed that it will adopt EASA’s Special Conditions (SC) VTOL standards as the basis for certifying eVTOL aircraft. The decision should make it more straightforward for UK aircraft developers to achieve concurrent approval for their products.

In March, the CAA agreed to work with the FAA on type certification processes for eVTOL aircraft. The U.S. regulator is taking a different approach from its European counterpart but has agreed to build on existing bilateral air safety agreements with the UK to create a path for eVTOL manufacturers to get approvals validated on both sides of the Atlantic.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.

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