Airbus CityAirbus

The Airbus CityAirbus is a multinational project by Airbus Helicopters to produce an electrically powered vertical take-off and landing personal air vehicle demonstrator intended for the air taxi role, to avoid ground traffic congestion. It follows other Airbus urban air mobility initiatives such as the Vahana. A 2015 feasibility study confirmed the operating costs and safety requirements, full-scale testing of the ducted propeller drivetrain was completed in October 2017, and the iron bird systems test prototype was powered on in December 2017 in Taufkirchen, Germany. The first uncrewed flight of the aircraft was on 3 May 2019. After 242 flights covering 1,000 kilometres in total with the Vahana and CityAirbus demonstrators, Airbus updated the project in September 2021 to a fixed wing, a V-tail and eight electric propellers with no tilting parts, planned to fly in 2023 and be certified around 2025.