Vertical announces further certification progress
• Former EASA Certification Director joins Vertical to help lead regulatory engagement
• Concurrent EASA and CAA certification agreed
• CAA approves Vertical’s Form 4 holders as part of DOA approval
• On track to receive DOA later this year
• Vertical believes this DOA will be of the widest scope an eVTOL manufacturer will have received to data
Vertical Aerospace (Vertical) a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering zero emissions aviation, today announces further progress on its path to certification, including the appoint- ment of the former European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) Certification Director, Trevor Woods, as Director – Regulatory Affairs.
Concurrent EASA/CAA validation
Vertical is also pleased to announce that EASA has agreed to concurrently validate the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) certification of its VX4 electric VTOL aircraft. In this concurrent validation, the VX4 will be certificated by the UK CAA against their stringent safety standards and in compliance with the similar and equally stringent standards developed by EASA. This means that the certification and validation processes will run simultaneously in both regulatory jurisdictions, paving the way for the VX4 to operate in both the UK and Europe from 2025.
Vertical believes this activity with both the CAA and EASA will also support swift validation of the VX4 by other international regulators, who respect the stringent safety standards imposed by the UK and European regulators.
Vertical is seeking to conduct similar certification validation efforts with other national aviation authorities where Vertical’s customers operate, enabling the VX4 to be flown in these jurisdictions. Vertical has already run project familiarisation workshops with regulators in key territories including Japan, Brazil and Singapore. Vertical will also seek validation by the FAA, enabling entry into service with US operators.
Certification Progress
Vertical’s certification programme is progressing rapidly as it targets entry into service in 2025. Vertical has submitted its certification basis proposal, based on EASA’s established SC-VTOL certification basis. Vertical expects to have this agreed with the CAA later this year.
Vertical has also received notice that its three key nominated managers (Form 4 Holders) have been accepted by the regulator as competent to hold the roles. These approved managers are necessary for Vertical to be granted Design Organisation Approval (DOA).
DOA (equivalent to the FAA’s Organization Designation Authorization or ODA) is the approval from the regulator that an aerospace company is certified as being competent and responsible to hold a Type Certificate. Vertical’s DOA, when granted, will cover the full scope required to hold a Type Certificate for a commercial passenger carrying winged eVTOL.
Vertical believes this will be of the widest scope an eVTOL manufacturer will have received to date, giving Vertical a competitive edge when progressing towards Type Certification. A Type Certificate is a formal recognition from the certifying authority that the design of the aircraft is in compliance with all applicable airworthiness requirements. Vertical expects to receive DOA from the UK regulator later this year and this will be the first formal recognition from the CAA confirming Vertical’s competency as a VTOL design or- ganisation and eventually as a Type Certificate holder.
Trevor Woods, Vertical’s Director – Regulatory Affairs, said “I am delighted to join Vertical, the eVTOL manufacturer that, I believe, has the edge on its competitors. Its considerable in-house engineering expertise matched with its unrivalled industrial partnerships from proven tier-one aerospace suppliers such as Rolls- Royce, Honeywell, GKN and Leonardo lend significant momentum to its certification efforts. I, myself, am looking forward to flying in the VX4 at the earliest opportunity.”
Paul Harper, Head of Certification at Vertical, said “To have someone with Trevor’s experience join the team is a boost for us and our certification efforts. We are pleased with the status of our certification programme and look forward to reaching a number of meaningful milestones in our activity over the coming months, including the launch of our test flight campaign.”
