Specialist
Executive at Community Air Mobility Initiative
Agenda
- eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) market overview including key players and aircraft designs
- Certification process – FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) vs EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) – and projected timeline
- Urban air mobility networks – challenges and opportunities
- Operating models for eVTOL manufacturers
- Market development and challenges of potential vertiports
Questions
1.
How has eVTOL [electric vertical take-off and landing], including the commercial segment, evolved? What technical developments have there been?
2.
Which areas do you think still require technical development, given you mentioned some technical immaturities? How are leading eVTOL players differentiated or positioned technically?
3.
Could you outline the certification process’s main components for eVTOL players? What are players facing and how are they approaching certification strategies?
4.
What are your expected timelines for players achieving the steps in the certification process, given the challenges with new and emerging technologies? It sounds like adding flexibility addresses this newer technology segment. I think Joby Aviation is expected to become the first eVTOL player to receive certification around 2023.
5.
Could you explain the evolution from first flight prototype to the compliance craft that players want to certify? Is it a matter of technical developments, so changing some specifications? How are the teams getting from first flight to an actual prototype, which would be that A to B through the certification process?
6.
Could there be any manpower challenges for the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] to go through the certification processes adapting to eVTOL?
7.
Are there any differences in how the FAA vs EASA [European Union Aviation Safety Agency] approach eVTOL? Where might you expect more or fewer regulatory delays?
8.
What are the expected use cases for aircraft sizes? You have drones for package delivery all the way up to Lilium’s seven-seater. Where would you expect faster or slower certification?
9.
What are your thoughts on airspace and the air traffic regulations developing to handle eVTOL networks, especially the more urban mobility networks?
10.
How challenging will it be for early players such as Joby to seek pilot availability and train them in these new craft and configurations?
11.
What are the steps for eVTOL players to gain certification to operate aircraft rather than just producing them? Many of these players seem to want to operate their own passenger networks and aircraft fleets. Is the integrated OEM [original equipment manufacturer] and eVTOL operator a lasting business model?
12.
How is the market thinking about vertiport construction and operation? Vertiport build-out is another difficult aspect of passenger networks. Would vertiports be held by a specific eVTOL company, or could they be more of an independent operation for craft to utilise?
13.
What are the main challenges – including technical and regulatory policies – facing eVTOL players? What could hinder players reaching operation and growing the market towards the projections?
14.
Do you have anything else you’d like to highlight?
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