UK CAA sets out roadmap for commercial eVTOL flights by 2028
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published its first comprehensive roadmap for bringing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft into commercial service, aiming to see passenger operations begin by the end of 2028.
image UKCAA
The new framework, eVTOL Delivery Model, sets out how the regulator intends to adapt existing rules and introduce new requirements to ensure the safe rollout of the emerging aircraft type.
The plan outlines three phases: today’s experimental and demonstration flights; the transition to certificated aircraft, licensed pilots and regulated vertiports by 2028; and a longer-term horizon in the 2030s, where autonomous flight and high-density air taxi networks may become possible.
By establishing clear regulatory milestones, the CAA hopes to guide the UK into becoming a leading early adopter and in so doing position the country as an early commercial hub for eVTOL technology.
Aircraft certification will harmonise with international standards to minimise regulatory barriers for manufacturers. Commercial pilots will need a type rating plus a Commercial or Airline Transport Pilot Licence, while infrastructure requirements for vertiports will be integrated into existing aerodrome regulations, ensuring scalability for urban networks.
The CAA is also emphasising that integrating eVTOLs into UK airspace will demand close coordination with air traffic management, and both visual and instrument flight operations are envisaged from the outset.
Sophie O’Sullivan, Director Future Safety and Innovation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority said, “The emergence of eVTOL offers new opportunities for the aerospace industry and the potential to reshape how people travel and goods are delivered.
“Our eVTOL Delivery Model outlines how we as a regulator are working to enable this new industry to operate with the highest safety standards, and our ambition to put in place the regulatory framework to facilitate commercial eVTOL operations in the UK by the end of 2028 in line with the government’s objectives.”