Civil Aviation

Airbus Introduces CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL Prototype for Urban Air Mobility

Airbus has unveiled its fully electric CityAirbus NextGen prototype to the public, ahead of its maiden flight late this year.

The two-tonne CityAirbus, with a wing span of around 12 metres, is being built to fly with an 80-kilometer range and a cruise speed of 120 kilometres per hour, making it ideal for operations in major cities for a variety of tasks.

The new CityAirbus test facility in Donauwörth, which will be used to test systems for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs), opened concurrently with the unveiling. The facility, which is a component of airbus’ continuous and long-term commitment in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), started operating in December 2023 when the CityAirbus NextGen was powered on.

It is currently being used for the last testing needed before the prototype’s inaugural flight later this year. The aircraft’s other components, including the avionics and flying controls, are also tested in addition to the electric motors with their eight rotors.

In order to provide a distinctive environment that will support a flourishing and sustainable AAM business, Airbus is concurrently growing its global network and forming new partnerships. Leading aviation company LCI and Airbus recently inked a collaboration deal that will see the two companies work together to build partnership scenarios and business models in three key areas of AAM: financing, commercialization, and strategy.