Believing that the UAM can positively contribute to a multimodal mobility system and opens up new possibilities for city development, Airbus, the world's largest manufacturer of airliners, has been exploring how recent technology advancements – from battery capacity and autonomy to electric propulsion – can help drive the development of new kinds of aerial vehicles since 2014.

Intended for the air taxi role, CityAirbus, the company’s unmanned, ducted-fan-driven urban air taxi prototype, made its first flight on May 3, 2019 in Donauwörth, Germany. After 242 flights over 1.000 km (540 nm) in total Airbus updated the CityAirbus project in September 2021 and unveiled the updated configuration of its eVTOL CityAirbus, dubbed prototype ‘CityAirbus NextGen’. The new configuration boasts a fixed main wing with 6 ductless rotors (electric propellers), twin boom tail (a V-tail) with two control rotors. Unlike the previous configuration the ‘CityAirbus NextGen’ does not have any moving surfaces or tilting parts. 

CityAirbus NextGen is a 2-ton class all-electric, four-seat vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) prototype. It was unveiled by Airbus to the public in a special ceremony at its facility in Donauworth, Germany, ahead of the electric aircraft’s maiden flight later this year. CityAirbus NextGen has a wing span of about 40 feet (12 meters) and is powered by eight propellers and 16 electrical power units, with dual systems for redundancy. When in operation, it will carry one pilot with three passengers in a banked seat at the rear of the cabin. The CityAirbus NextGen is being developed to fly with an 80 km range and to reach a cruise speed of 120 km/h, making it perfectly suited for operations in major cities for a variety of missions.  

With the great advances in aviation technologies in recent years, eVTOL solutions for the UAM market have begun to evolve from concept to imminent reality. At Farnborough International Airshow 2024 (FIA24), Aviation Turkey caught up with Balkız Sarıhan, CEO & Head of UAM at Airbus, to get first-hand information on the current status company’s CityAirbus NextGen Program and to discusses the innovative business models Airbus is shaping, her strategic vision for the future of UAM and how they are overcoming challenges both in the fast-evolving UAM sector and in the global market.

Aviation Turkey: Can we start by getting some information about CityAirbus NextGen and its distinguishing features that makes it different from other products in the market? So, for the future potential customers or users, why should they prefer your solution rather than others?

Balkız Sarıhan: Absolutely, with pleasure. Maybe I introduce you first a little bit about the aircraft. So, CityAirbus NextGen is our prototype. Before CityAirbus NextGen we've done lots of demonstrators on technology both at aircraft level and technobricks and even first operations and these types of activities. But for us all of that learning and all of the history of Airbus brought us to this first entry which is our product answer to, as you said, the advanced air mobility market.

What's unique about the Airbus product? The Airbus product, first of all, is a 2-ton class of vehicle. So that means that we're able to carry four people in a 2-ton class of vehicle, meaning that when we first enter the market we don't have to wait for additional infrastructure.

We can use existing infrastructure, existing helipads to help introduce the product to the market. What else is unique is we focus on simplicity, safety and supportability.

Aviation Turkey: Four passengers plus pilot? 

Balkız Sarıhan:No, four-passenger cabin. So, one pilot plus three passengers.

Aviation Turkey: Does it also have an option for the unmanned operation in the future?

Balkız Sarıhan: In the future for us autonomy is not a technology challenge. Autonomy is more of a societal acceptance challenge. So, there's so much autonomy that's available.

Aviation Turkey: People should be ready to not see a pilot in the cockpit. Even at Metro it takes many years.

Balkız Sarıhan: Perfect example, you know. And for us it's really the most important thing is to introduce a product that is technologically viable, which means worthy of carrying the Airbus name, which means it is safety, absolutely, no question about that, but also delivering performance. So, we're not in a race to rush a product to market. Our focus remains on putting the right product to market at the right time. And what does that mean? That also means it's business viable. We're not going to operate our aircraft. She will be introduced as an extension of the existing portfolio of helicopters and airlines. 

Depending on the missions that we want to serve, and we want to make sure that everyone is wanting and willing and able to make the investment necessary for the long-run success of such a novel technology and such a revolution in aerospace. Here this will be the first all-electric product that Airbus puts out into the market and that's a huge step forward for us and for the industry because applications of that beyond that first entry are incredible.

Aviation Turkey: The maiden flight will be at the end of this year I think, right?

Balkız Sarıhan: Yes.

 Aviation Turkey: Why did you prefer this design configuration?  

Balkız Sarıhan: So, our design, if we're focusing on simplicity and supportability, also means that we have chosen not to tilt. We want to make it affordable; we want to make it certifiable, and we want to make it reliable. Which means that we have designed an architecture that is 100% vertical takeoff and landing.

So, no runway short or long needed. That means we can take off and land vertically and as soon as we have achieved our altitude, we are transitioning to forward flight as quickly as possible. And this is just because batteries love a wing.

So, the faster you can transition to forward flight, the more energy efficient you are, and the longer your mission profile is. So, this is what the concept of the design is.

 Aviation Turkey: So, the position of these propellers is not changing? CityAirbus NextGen does not have any moving surfaces or tilting parts?

Balkız Sarıhan: Nothing, everything is locked.

Aviation Turkey: How can you be sure to go forward while the propellers are turning?

Balkız Sarıhan: This is the brilliance of our engineers. We've spent a lot of time… and this is also why we built two completely different technology demonstrators. We had one aircraft without a wing which was 100% vertical takeoff and landing. This was CityAirbus Alpha, a 2.3-ton class vehicle. So, a massive vehicle to bring into the air without anything tilting, 100% battery.

I think our general concept is the fewer the moving parts, the better it is for aircraft design, manufacturing, and then support afterwards. And this is the design challenge we gave to our engineers. Because we had a tilting offer. So Vahana (it was an all-electric, single-seat, tilt-wing vehicle demonstrator that focused on advancing self-piloted, electric vertical take-off and landing [eVTOL] flight), our other technology demonstrator, was a tilting application. So, we took a lot of learning from that. And then we said, okay, what is the best trade-off?

Because in the end, when we're designing a new product, it's always a trade-off. So, for us, most important is business viable, technologically sound, safety, of course, without question, and then delivering a first viable mission. And this is also where our missions differ as well. So, we as Airbus really focus on three different feeder markets. 

The first is medical services. Medical services where we can, again, add a real value to society. So, this aircraft is designed to perform hand-in-hand with our HEMS helicopters, so emergency medical services helicopters.

Aviation Turkey: Since you have a cabin for four passengers, so can it be also converted into to take stretcher?

Balkız Sarıhan: Yes, yes, it does. So, the interior of the cabin is designed. 

Aviation Turkey: Does it have a rear door?

Balkız Sarıhan: It is an option but the way she's designed, if I explain it in this way, is it's a convertible cabin. So, to fit medical services, ecotourism, and scheduled shuttle services. This is where we really believe that the market will start, and we also get to mature with our operators.

All of this is transparent. So, if you imagine the experience of someone stepping into the aircraft, it's very open, it's very inviting, it's very public friendly, right? Because we want to bring the public with us.

The aircraft access is actually through the front. So, the doors open in this direction. So, to your point, if we need to fit a stretcher, if we need to get personnel in there, all that has the flexibility with which the cabin is designed.

And this is what we, I mean, these are the real design challenges, you know. We want something that is usable. We want something that is value-add. We want something multi-location.

Aviation Turkey: What about the height of the propellers? So, when the people get out, do they create any problem?

Balkız Sarıhan: No, no, not at all. I mean, the clearance is 2 meters.

Aviation Turkey: Dimension is becoming sometimes a differentiation issue. Do you have any plan to, for example, folding wings like that to make its footprint shortened?

Balkız Sarıhan:The footprint is pretty small to begin with, actually. So, this is 12 meters tip to tip. So, it's actually quite small and the D-Value is at 15. So, this is also why we really restrict our engineers to say, guys, going bigger is easy. But give me something that is usable, practical.

And this is the construction. Because then as battery technology improves with this architecture, you just get to carry more in the same cabin.

Aviation Turkey: Do you have any plan to produce a family over this version? For example, you said this configuration features four-passenger cabin, do you have any plan to develop, for example, middle version with six or eight-passenger cabin? Then also add a 12-passenger cabin version. Do you have any such plan? Because, you know, demands are different. You said you are focusing on EMS market, but also maybe police, maybe forestry services. Maybe the airlines would prefer to VVIP passengers to take them from home?

Balkız Sarıhan: Absolutely. I mean, if you look at the entire Airbus product philosophy, whether that's our fixed wing, whether that's our rotary, it is exactly this word. It is always family concept and multi-mission. Because all of the research and technology and investment that goes into developing a single product is then extended.

But the most important thing is to find a reasonable and a trusted place to start the market because we're introducing something new, and we cannot risk that the public does not believe.

Aviation Turkey: You said that we work hand in hand with EMS. So before developing this configuration, you conducted a research and concluded that for entering the UAM market this configuration would be the best way for you. And you will move forward to develop a family concept over four-passenger cabin configuration? 

Balkız Sarıhan: Exactly. It's a first entry into market. And this is also the criteria. So, we have right now lots of partnerships with different kind of operators, helicopter operators or airlines. And from them, from the very, very early phase, we're saying, what do you need? What will make your business more successful? What are your passengers and your customers asking for and all of that customer feedback is going into the design of the aircraft.

Aviation Turkey: So, what about your partnership in subsystems of this platform for the batteries? Are you developing your own batteries or getting them from your supplier?

Balkız Sarıhan: We don't do cell manufacturing at all. There's lots of different, wonderful technologies out there. Our battery pack is designed by Airbus Defence and Space, actually. It's the same people who are designing the batteries that go into our satellite business. So, this is the pack design. This is the battery management system. This is the energy management system. This is critical. And then we are researching and scouting best cells out onto the market.

Aviation Turkey: In case of emergency situation, do you also have spare batteries or spare system to support the platform to survive? For example, in current platform, there are hydraulic systems in case of lack of electricity. Do you have any such spare/back-up solutions? For example, if CityAirbus NextGen experience a battery problem while in the air, can it be able to perform auto-rotation to assure safe landing?

Balkız Sarıhan: Let me share with you our certification standards that we're certifying to. So, it's EASA SC VTOL, which means 10-9. So, this is the certification standards, and therefore the safety standards. This means that and it's at the aircraft level, it's at the CONOPS, the pilot, so the ground handling. The degree of the highest level of safety standards that we have is exactly what we expect. 

The other thing that happens is redundancies. Redundancies and redundancies happen at many levels at the mechanical level as such an aircraft, at the software level as well. So, yes, we will not put a product out onto the market that is not meeting the EASA SC VTOL certification requirements.

Aviation Turkey: What about the sales procedures of urban air mobility system? For example, if I have money, can I buy a CityAirbus NextGen and fly anywhere? Is there any regulation or restrictions to operate such system? 

Balkız Sarıhan: To be an operator. So, this will be certified as an aircraft. This means that you have to have an operator certificate. So that means that, you know, an individual can have an operator working for them and operate the fleet just like any other helicopter, but it's not designed as a personal air vehicle. So, the safety standards and the requirements are set to commercial operations. 

Aviation Turkey: What is the level of cooperation with the airlines? What is their approach to that? You have some contracts with the airlines as well. I was wondering which are those.

Balkız Sarıhan: Yeah. So, we actually signed from an operator perspective. We will not operate the aircraft. We believe in an OEM responsibility and an operator responsibility. We stay on the OEM side of it. So, then we choose existing Airbus operators, whether they're airlines or helicopter operators.

In the early days, we also don't sign LOIs. We say, partners, come with us and help us develop the CONOPS. What are your expectations of the aircraft evolution and design? What do you prioritize? This is what's most important for us. And then when the aircraft is in production and certified, then come and add it to your fleet.

But it's a very, very iterative approach like this. So, we believe this is a bit of a humble and pragmatic way to do it. 

Aviation Turkey: Do you have some, you know, negotiations with Turkish Airlines or Pegasus or the others?

Balkız Sarıhan: We have actually a lot of airlines who come through the commercial colleagues because it's always through the existing cams and who want to be kept up to speed about where the development is and when it's ready that they are either entering into this early stage of, you know, concept development partnerships or some are saying, you know what, I'm interested, but I want to wait and see when it's certified. 

Aviation Turkey: I was really curious about how airspace management works and the regulations around it. Last year at the Paris Airshow, Volocopter told us that they would have their maiden flights this June. However, since then, we haven't heard any updates. Maybe they are referring to the Paris Olympics, where it could be the first event of its kind in the world. So, how does it work?

Balkız Sarıhan: So, two things. One is the regulation side of it. So, the traffic management of the airspace, because now we're dealing with an airspace that needs to be divided along pre-approved aerospace corridors is one. And also, the altitude. So lower space aircraft, we're kind of traveling in the mid and then the higher.

And then the third piece is at the airport, at major commercial airports. How are we regulating the traffic at major commercial airports? And here we actually sign partnerships with the airport themselves to say, let us help you design.

We designed together how to federate the traffic at different kinds of airports. And then there's a software piece of it, because as much as there is hardware infrastructure, there's a digital infrastructure. So, we're actually designing our own unmanned traffic management system.

So, to map these corridors, to help the airport regulate the airspace. The vehicle is exciting. We're so excited to see her fly but the vehicle alone is not enough. You need the infrastructure, you need the certification from the regulators, you need the traffic management, and you need the operators who are saying, you know what, I want to be part of this revolution. 

 Aviation Turkey: From your perspective, where do you really think that it will be operated really in the skies in some couple of years or more?

Balkız Sarıhan: For us, we believe by the end of this decade, you will see first operations. And what does first operations mean? First operations mean use cases. It does not mean we go from zero to thousands of aircraft over our cities. It's unmanageable. So, you really have to take a stepwise approach.

And we work in different areas of the world as well, because different areas are looking for different kinds of use cases. So, this is also important to say, okay, what is the need there? What is the need from a geography perspective, from a community perspective? Let's help introduce in the right way. 

Aviation Turkey: It's different in the US or at a flatter place?

Balkız Sarıhan: Yeah, exactly. And if we look at the, you know, topography of Türkiye, right? Imagine flying over the Istanbul Straight. I mean, that's a wonderful use case.

Aviation Turkey: Where will the first flight will take place? 

Balkız Sarıhan: First in our Donauwörth camp in Germany. That's where she flies first.

 Aviation Turkey: The CityAirbus NextGen is powered by eight propellers. Does it have any back-up engines, or electrical power units? In the event that one or more of these propellers stop during flight, will it be able to continue flying safely?

Balkız Sarıhan: The redundancies in order to meet the EASA SC VTOL are at the hardware level, as we said, so there's redundancies at the engine level, there's redundancies at the propeller level. And then there is redundancies. And this is why you have your earlier question, the distributor propulsion, right, so that you are able to always have a control.

Aviation Turkey: What about your forecast for the future sales? How many sales do you foresee for the next five or 10 years? For example, last week or 10 days ago, I was at Embraer Press Tour. They have a new joint venture, EVE Air Mobility. And according to their presentation, they have 30 eVTOL customers in 13 countries and 16 UATM customers & partners in 4 continents and the total value of 2.900 Letters of Intents (LoIs) that secured so far for eVTOLs is around $14,5 Billion. Do you have such contracts or such negotiations with either hospitals, helicopter operators or airline operators?

Balkız Sarıhan: For us as Airbus, we are 100% internally funded. So, all of the investment, all of this, you know, investing in the future comes 100% internally, which allows us to focus on the right product at the right time. And we don't accept LoIs and we don't ask our operator partners to sign LoIs.

I think this is not the point. So, let's build the market, let's make it successful, let's make it safe and the business will come. It will. And imagine all of this investment that we are doing as Airbus and everyone else is doing. So, it's a very, very positive time to see this much interest.

Aviation Turkey: This is the first platform, first product. In the future, there will be a family concept. And in, for example, the next 10 years, do you also have a plan, because Airbus also has a military side, do you have any plan to develop military versions of this product?

Balkız Sarıhan: Here, the real challenge is commercial operations in urban and city environments and electric powered. I think when we look at our military platforms, it's different to ask that the customers are asking for mission capability. There are synergies, of course, because there's synergies when we look at the different technology evolutions and there's synergies between this and our commercial airlines and our ZEROe and our helicopters. But for us, we really want to focus on what the customer and the end mission requirement is. And here we focus with UAM today on 100% commercial operations.

Aviation Turkey: What about the maintenance and also pilot training issues? Airbus does have a plan to provide also maintenance from one point to global end users, or do you have any plan to also establish maintenance facilities or training facilities to future customers of this?

Balkız Sarıhan: I would say it's a mix of both. I think we're absolutely privileged as Airbus today, between us service centers and our customer service center, we're in 150 different countries. So, this is a wonderful starting point.

Aviation Turkey: So, your representatives around the globe for helicopters or aircraft will be automatically also provide service?

Balkız Sarıhan: Exactly, exactly, because then we're growing their portfolio as well and making sure that service is as close to the operations and close to our customers as possible. This is always our philosophy.

Aviation Turkey: Balkız Hanım thank you for sparing your time to our readers