Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), announced that it has reached a significant milestone in certification. The German Federal Aviation Office’s (Luftfahrtbundesamt or LBA) has granted the company a Production Organisation Approval (POA) extension, which allows it to produce the VoloCity aircraft.
This POA extension applies to Volocopter’s two new production and hangar facilities in Bruchsal, Germany, which were first unveiled in April 2023.
A Global First in eVTOL Production
Volocopter is the world’s first and only eVTOL company to hold both Design Organisation Approval (DOA) and POA. Volocopter received EASA’s DOA in 2019, followed by the initial POA in 2021 with the acquisition of DG Flugzeugbau.
This POA extension is an industry first, listing specifically the approved production of an eVTOL in the POA’s scope of work, from prototyping to serial manufacturing.
Andreas Fehring, Chief Operating Officer of Volocopter, stated that “Volocopter now has full trust and authority to design and produce the VoloCity in-house autonomously and has entered the pre-serial production stage of manufacturing.”
Volocopter is a German company working on the concept of urban air mobility (UAM). Their main focus is on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, essentially electric air taxis designed for use in megacities. Also, they are leading the launch of electric air taxis in Europe.
Recently, The German eVTOL company showcased their 2X prototype at the Tokyo International Forum as part of Tokyo’s eSG Project. The purpose of showcasing the 2X prototype is to build public awareness of eVTOLs in this forward-thinking city.
Volocopter’s Journey
Volocopter is working towards launching the world’s first commercial electric air taxi services. Volocopter, established in 2011, has a workforce of over 500 people in Germany and Singapore.
The company has successfully completed more than 2,000 public and private test flights and has raised over $600 million from investors such as Mercedes-Benz Group, Sumitomo Corporation, Japan Airlines, Tokyo Century, and NTT.
