Airbus Launches the CityAirbus NextGen: A Giant Step Towards Urban Air Mobility

Airbus has officially unveiled its prototype electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the CityAirbus NextGen, promising to revolutionize urban mobility with its maiden flight scheduled for later this year.

Weighing two tonnes and with a wingspan of 12 metres, the CityAirbus NextGen is designed to fly a distance of 80 km at a cruising speed of 120 km/h, making it ideal for urban travel on a variety of missions.

The unveiling coincides with the inauguration of the new CityAirbus test center in Donauwörth, dedicated to testing eVTOL systems. The center is part of Airbus' commitment to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), having begun its activities with the first activation of the CityAirbus NextGen in December 2023. The upcoming tests, necessary before the prototype's launch, will focus on the eight electric rotors and other key components such as flight controls and avionics. Balkiz Sarihan, Head of Urban Air Mobility at Airbus, underlines the importance of this milestone: "The deployment of CityAirbus NextGen marks a concrete step towards the realization of advanced air mobility and the future of our product and market."

At the same time, Airbus is expanding its global network and partnerships to support a thriving and sustainable AAM ecosystem. A recent partnership with LCI, a major aviation player, focuses on strategy development, marketing and financing in three crucial AAM areas.

Source: Air Journal