EASA

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is the certification and safety oversight authority for civil aviation in the European Union. EASA issues the airworthiness requirements that aircraft must meet for type certification in EU airspace and oversees the design and production organizations that build them.

For VTOL-capable aircraft, the principal certification instrument is the Special Condition ofr VTOL Aircraft (SC-VTOL). SC-VTOL was first issued in July 2019 and is currently in its second issue (SC-VTOL-02, dated 10 June 2024). It applies to small-category VCA with a passenger seating configuration of nine or fewer and a maximum certified take-off mass of 5,700 kg or less. SC-VTOL establishes the safety and design objectives that VTOL aircraft must meet; the accompanying Means of Compliance publications (MOC-1 through MOC-4 to date, with MOC-5 in consultation) describe the methods by which applicants can demonstrate compliance, including reference to established aerospace standards.

For the electric and hybrid propulsion systems used in many contemporary VTOL aircraft, the Special Condition for Electric/Hybrid Propulsion System (SC E-19) provides certification requirements for the propulsion system itself, complementing the airframe-level requirements of SC-VTOL.

For unmanned aircraft system operations, including the flight test of uncrewed VTOL aircraft, EASA applies the EU UAS Regulations, which establish three operational categories (Open, Specific, and Certified) based on operational risk. The Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) is the EASA-accepted methodology for risk evaluation in the Specific category. EASA also leads the European regulatory work on U-space, the EU framework for unmanned aircraft traffic management.

Under bilateral aviation safety agreements between EASA and other authorities including the FAA, aircraft certified by one authority may receive corresponding validation from the other, supporting international market access for European-developed designs.

For piloted VCA with a maximum take-off mass of 5,700 kg or less and a passenger seating configuration of nine or fewer, type certification follows the Special Condition for VTOL Aircraft. SC-VTOL distinguishes two categories.

  • Category Enhanced requires that the aircraft be capable of continued safe flight and landing to the original destination or a suitable alternate vertiport after a critical failure. Category Enhanced is required for commercial passenger transport and for operations over congested areas.
  • Category Basic requires that the aircraft be capable of a controlled emergency landing after a critical failure, in a manner comparable to a controlled glide or autorotation. An aircraft may be certified in one or both categories. Compliance with SC-VTOL is demonstrated through Means of Compliance publications that reference established aerospace standards for software, complex hardware, environmental qualification, and system safety assessment.

For uncrewed VTOL aircraft, including aircraft operated as remotely piloted during flight test, the Specific Operations Risk Assessment provides the EASA-accepted methodology for risk assessment and operational authorisation. SORA assigns each operation a Specific Assurance and Integrity Level (SAIL) from I to VI, based on combined ground risk and air risk classifications. Operations at lower SAIL levels can be authorised by the National Aviation Authority; higher-SAIL operations require additional EASA involvement, up to and including type certification at the highest levels.

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