German electric aerial taxi developer Volocopter has received an extension to its Production Organisation Approval from the German Federal Aviation Authority (LBA), paving the way for series production of the VoloCity.
Volocopter becomes the first and only eVTOL company globally to hold both “Design Organisation Approval (DOA) and POA.” The Production Organisation Approval extension covers both Volocopter production sites and the hangar in Bruchsal, officially opened in April 2023.
See also: Volocopter Completes Production Line for Electric Air Taxis in Germany
Since 2021, Volocopter has been certified as a manufacturing company under EASA guidelines by the German Federal Aviation Authority. This certification includes the manufacture of carbon fibre parts, all aspects of the electric drive unit, final assembly, and extensive end-of-line flight testing.
“This is a major milestone for us. Aircraft design and production are strongly regulated for a good reason: to produce safe mobility products,” said Andreas Fehring, Chief Operating Officer of Volocopter. “I am pleased that Volocopter’s production facility has the trust and stamp of approval from LBA to manufacture commercial aircraft that can be delivered to customers once the VoloCity receives type certification. Our team has proven that we can produce safe and high-quality test aircraft, and we now look forward to shortening our production lead time for scaling.”
See also: Volocopter targeting flights for 2024 Olympics
Around a year ago, Volocopter announced its readiness for production in Bruchsal, following its first test flights in 2022. The company already has orders waiting, including a 15 eVTOL order from Neom, Saudi Arabia, issued in 2021, with flight operations expected to commence in “two to three years.”
