All-electric aircraft manufacturer VÆRIDION has announced the successful completion of its second Pre-Application Contract (PAC) with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), marking another major milestone on the path to certification.
“The completion of the PAC places VÆRIDION among the industry’s frontrunners in bringing certifiable high-voltage electric systems to market,” says the company in a press release. “Working alongside EASA and GKN Aerospace, the company has established the certification basis for some of the Microliner’s most novel technologies and helped define how future battery-electric aircraft can be certified under European regulations.
Throughout the PAC, VÆRIDION and EASA addressed the key certification aspects associated with the Microliner’s novel electrical storage, High Voltage Electrical Wiring Systems (HV-EWIS) and power distribution architecture. The viability of the proposed certification approach was confirmed, subject to the completion of the required testing, validation and formal compliance demonstration in the subsequent certification phases, says the company.
“Certification is built on early technical alignment, and this work confirms that our approach to high-voltage energy storage, power distribution and EWIS is on the right path,” said Markus Kochs-Kämper, CTO of VÆRIDION. ” Together with GKN Aerospace and EASA, we have established a robust certification framework that not only supports the Microliner, our 9-seat passenger and freighter aircraft, but also contributes to the future certification of high-voltage electric aircraft across the CS-23 category.”
The second PAC was carried out collaboration with GKN Aerospace, building on a two-year technical partnership between VÆRIDION and GKN Aerospace, during which both companies have jointly matured electrical systems design and certification strategy. Together, they developed one of the first certification approaches for HV-EWIS in the CS-23 level 3 category, says the company.
Enrique Alatorre, SVP EWIS of GKN Aerospace said: “GKN Aerospace has been investing in High Voltage EWIS technology for many years, with the clear objective of enabling certifiable solutions for the next generation of aircraft. Establishing this certification pathway together with VÆRIDION and GKN Aerospace’s team in the Netherlands is an important milestone for our industry. We are proud to have worked alongside EASA and VÆRIDION on this journey and look forward to continuing our support for VÆRIDION’s innovative and sustainable Microliner programme.”
The achievement follows VÆRIDION’s first EASA PAC completed in 2024, which established the certification approach for the Microliner’s distributed electric propulsion architecture.
Beyond supporting the Microliner programme, this PAC establishes a reference framework for future CS-23 Level 3 certification projects involving high-voltage power distribution systems, contributing to the broader evolution of acceptable means of compliance for electric aviation, says VÆRIDION.
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