Safety of e-VTOL Aircraft Operations in the Context of Maintenance and Engineering Approach

Abstract

Urban air mobility operations using electric-Vertical Take-Off and landing (e-VTOL) vehicles intended for air transportation of passengers and mail within metropolitan areas. Several original aircraft manufacturers and new start-up entities have developed hundreds of e-VTOL aircraft models with various concepts and design architectures. The public expects these air vehicles to have lower operating costs, be less noisy, and be more accessible. Alongside with operational integration of the airspace and the air traffic management system, ground infrastructure development, implementation of vertiports to support the operations, and reliability of communication, navigation, and surveillance systems, this study presents an identification and discussion of future maintenance-related safety challenges. The study reveals that at the stage of initial operations, the most important components vulnerable to failure are the electronic speed controller, elements of battery system, motors, and propellers. Therefore, the original equipment manufacturers intending to obtain type certificates for their e-VTOL aircraft must establish sufficient, reliable Maintenance Planning Document (Maintenance Program) and training programs to adequately mitigate the safety issue. Applying a comprehensive approach and a detailed reliability analysis of safety precautions for e-VTOL aircraft in the context of maintenance and engineering contributes to preventing technical errors and reaching the goal of preserving airworthiness. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.