Dutch flying car developer secures EU regulatory production approval
Dutch flying car developer PAL-V has secured European Production Organisation Approval (POA) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), marking a significant step towards production of its Liberty FlyDrive vehicle.
image: PAL-V
The approval allows PAL-V to manufacture aviation products under EASA regulations and, combined with its existing automotive production approval, gives the company the regulatory basis for manufacturing the vehicle across its road and aviation functions.
The approval relates to the production of the vehicle, but does not cover the aircraft certification process needed before the flying car can enter service. PAL-V has nevertheless already received a conceptual “No Technical Objection” from EASA in 2025 as part of that process.
PAL-V said it was the first company in the niche but emerging FlyDrive segment of Advanced Air Mobility to obtain the production approval. The company, based in Raamsdonksveer in the Netherlands, has been developing the Liberty for almost two decades.
The two-seat Liberty combines a three-wheeled road vehicle with a gyroplane. In flight configuration, PAL-V says it has a maximum speed of 180km/h and a range of around 500km. On the road, the vehicle is designed to operate as a conventional road vehicle, with its flight components folded away.
PAL-V expects initial customer deliveries in 2028, subject to completion of the remaining certification requirements. The company says its reservation portfolio is sufficient to cover its first three years of planned production, including an order for 100 vehicles from Dubai-based aerospace company Aviterra announced in 2024.
Robert Dingemanse, founder and chief executive of PAL-V, said the EASA approval demonstrated that the company had developed the organisation required to develop, certify and manufacture airworthy products.
The milestone comes as regulators in Europe continue to develop frameworks for Advanced Air Mobility, including new rules covering non-conventional aircraft and their continuing airworthiness. PAL-V's approach differs from the electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft being developed by many other Advanced Air Mobility companies. The Liberty uses conventional internal-combustion engines and gyroplane technology, with road and flight modes integrated into a single vehicle.