Licensing is the biggest obstacle to flying taxis

  • Reading Time:2Minutes

Bringing electric, vertical take-off and landing vehicles up to aviation standards could cost up to $1 billion. Germany’s Lilium would solve the problem by using suppliers with expertise in the aviation industry. Electric flying taxis will have to meet similar safety standards as Boeing or Airbus aircraft, according to an interview with Lilium’s programme director Yves Yemsy, New Atlas reports.

The most important regulators in the industry are the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which, if met, tend to accept new aircraft designs in the rest of the world. Because of strict safety regulations, every single component has to meet the authorities’ requirements. Yemsi, who previously headed the quality assurance team for the A350 at Airbus, said that they are trying to make a simpler model – the A350 has 3 million parts, the Lilium aircraft has only 100,000 – and to work with aerospace suppliers who have experience of the standards in force.

The company also tries to work in parallel with the two major regulators to avoid problems due to differences in standards. The standards apply not only to the design but also to the production, as fault-free operation in the air is far more important. In the case of aeroplanes, a fault can fit in at one billion flight hours, which is 1500 times more stringent than for cars.

Like most of its competitors, Lilium tries to avoid this by using redundancy, applying multiple insurance for all failure modes. This means that there are two or even three different hardware and software solutions for the same function, but 36 separate modules for the propeller and 10 for the battery, avoiding the possibility of single point failures.

Yemsi says that the $1 billion needed to comply with regulators may be a bit exorbitant, although it depends on what you factor in. In any case, if the numbers are right, it could be bad news for those waiting for a flying taxi, as even Joby Aviation, the company that raised the most capital, was only able to raise $820 million out of the hundreds of companies vying to create

Recent article

Air taxi News & Articles

Autonomous Air Traffic Control Systems

Drones News & Articles

Swarm Technology for Drones

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Stratolaunch’s hypersonic vehicle launched for the first time

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Centuries-old technology could revolutionise aviation

Flying Cars News & Articles

Alef’s flying car preparing for take-off

News & Articles Points of interest

Achieving Market Dominance in the eVTOL and Flying Car Industry

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Enhancing Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology

News & Articles Points of interest

The first large-scale rocket backpack competition was organised

Drones News & Articles

Red Bull has created the world’s fastest drone

Flying Cars News & Articles

Alef Aeronautics’ Model A could be in production in 2025

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Unveiling the Energy Dynamics of eVTOLs

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

What are the requirements for building a vertiport ?

Drones News & Articles

The role and future of military drones in wars

Flying Cars News & Articles

What are the safety concerns about flying cars and Evtol ?

Flying Cars News & Articles

How Will Flying Car Technology Evolve in the Next Decade ?

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Satellite Communications in the Age of eVTOLs

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

eVTOLs: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with Electric Propulsion

Drones News & Articles

A drone airliner lands at Abu Dhabi airport

Air taxi News & Articles

The cost of China’s Ehang unmanned air taxi revealed

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

The Role of Electric Motors in eVTOL Efficiency and Feasibility

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Evtols and the current state of self-direction

Air taxi News & Articles

Autonomous air mobility with EHang

Flying Cars News & Articles

New jobs in the eVTOL and flying car era

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

FAA’s Path to eVTOL Certification
More articles you may be interested in...

News & Articles Points of interest

Achieving Market Dominance in the eVTOL and Flying Car Industry

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Enhancing Emergency Response with eVTOL Technology

News & Articles Points of interest

The first large-scale rocket backpack competition was organised

Drones News & Articles

Red Bull has created the world’s fastest drone

EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles

Satellite Communications in the Age of eVTOLs

The integration of satellite communication technology into the operation and navigation of eVTOLs (Electric Vertical.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

eVTOLs: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with Electric Propulsion

Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles represent a cutting-edge frontier in the quest for.......... READ MORE

Drones News & Articles

A drone airliner lands at Abu Dhabi airport

In an age where innovation intersects with tradition, drone light shows have emerged as the.......... READ MORE

Air taxi News & Articles

The cost of China’s Ehang unmanned air taxi revealed

In a groundbreaking move that heralds a new era in urban transportation, China's Ehang has.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

The Role of Electric Motors in eVTOL Efficiency and Feasibility

The emergence of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and flying cars represents a.......... READ MORE

News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel

Evtols and the current state of self-direction

The current state of self-direction, or autonomous navigation, in eVTOLs is a fascinating convergence of.......... READ MORE

Air taxi News & Articles

Autonomous air mobility with EHang

In an era marked by rapid technological advances, the concept of urban mobility is undergoing.......... READ MORE

Flying Cars News & Articles

New jobs in the eVTOL and flying car era

As the eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) and flying car industry edges closer from.......... READ MORE