EASA has published the final version of the Environmental Protection Technical Specifications (EPTS) for Vertical Take-Off and Landing-capable aircraft (VCA) follows the public consultation phase initiated in December 2023. These EPTS are applicable to VCA with tilting rotors, such as the Lilium Jet. The responses to all the comments received during the public consultation are published along the EPTS.
EASA published two sets of Environmental Protection Technical Specifications for VCA. The first EPTS (for VCA with non-tilting rotors, such as the VC2-1 “VoloCity” from Volocopter) was published for public consultation in May 2023 and the final version published in December 2023.
In an Europe-wide survey on Urban Air Mobility published in 2021, noise was highlighted as one of the major concerns with respect to air taxis. Both EPTS documents build on existing international noise standards for conventional aircraft, adjusted to accommodate the specific characteristics of VCA. In addition to measuring noise at approach, take-off and overflight (ATOO), they also contain a hover noise assessment to help evaluate the noise impact of operations close to vertiports, the ground facilities from which such aircraft will operate.