Lilium progresses towards Design Organisation Approval from EASA after second audit
Lilium has successfully completed the second Design Organisation Approval (DOA) audit by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
DOA is a fundamental requirement for all commercial aircraft manufacturers and enables achievement of type certification of an aircraft, and completion of the audit demonstrates that Lilium is following the rigorous design processes agreed with EASA, representing a further milestone on Lilium’s path to type certification and subsequent serial production of its conformant aircraft.
Two further EASA DOA audits will be required for Lilium to receive the organisational approval, which complements the certification and development program, with the fourth and final EASA DOA audit and granting of EASA DOA anticipated to coincide with type certification of the Lilium Jet.
Earlier this month, Lilium submitted a full set of ‘Means of Compliance’ proposals to EASA for type certification of its Lilium Jet which prepares the way for the next phase of type certification, subject to regulatory agreement.
The Means of Compliance are an essential part of the program by which an aircraft manufacturer demonstrates a new aircraft type conforms with airworthiness requirements prescribed in the certification basis previously identified by EASA.
Lilium initially applied in 2017 for EASA DOA, and in parallel, Lilium is working toward the type certification of its Lilium Jet, for which the EASA certification basis (CRI-A01) was received in 2020.
Lilium is pursuing concurrent certification of its Lilium Jet with the US Federal Aviation Administration under the provisions of the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between the European Union and the US.
In March last year, Lilium became the latest eVTOL aircraft developer to go public, after announcing a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) merger with Qell Acquisition Corp, led by the former president of General Motors North America Barry Engle.
As part of the SPAC merger, Engle will join Lilium’s Board of Directors – which also includes former Airbus CEO Tom Enders.