Volocopter announced today that Sumitomo Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, invested in the company’s Series E Funding round. Sumitomo will also become a key strategic partner for entry into service in the Japanese market starting in 2025 when Volocopter is committed to flying its VoloCity air taxi at the 2025 EXPO Osaka Kansai.
The company also announced a major regulatory milestone was achieved to make this ambitious goal a reality: the European Union Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) announced that they have accepted Volocopter’s application process for concurrent type certification (TC) of the fully electric VoloCity aircraft to fly commercially in Japan. Volocopter says it is currently pushing the envelope on flight testing and is on target to achieve certification for the VoloCity from EASA in 2024. As of now, the company is pursuing concurrent validation with three non-European civil aviation authorities: JCAB in Japan, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in Singapore.
The company adds its dedication to Japan dates back to 2018, when the country became one of the first to announce its commitment to bringing UAM to life. This includes a clear roadmap outlining the steps it needs to take to educate the public, introduce regulations, and launch commercial services.
For more information
https://www.volocopter.com/newsroom/japan-series-e-regulatory-pathway/
(Image: Volocopter)
