Airbus reveals new CityAirbus

Airbus leapt forward in its efforts to advance Urban Air Mobility (UAM) innovations during September’s #AirbusSummit in Toulouse, with Airbus unveiling CityAirbus NextGen - its newest all-electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) multicopter.

The new CityAirbus is a fully-electric vehicle equipped with fixed wings, a V-shaped tail, and eight uniquely-designed electrical propellers. The rotorcraft will have the capacity to carry up to four passengers, making it an efficient air transport solution between strategic locations in urban and suburban environments.

Airbus’ extensive experience in noise-friendly designs drove CityAirbus NextGen’s sound levels below 70 dB(A) during landing, ideal for urban missions that require careful attention to sound levels. Designed with simplicity in mind, CityAirbus NextGen is being developed to fly with a range of 80 km and a cruise speed of 120 km/h, making it perfectly suited for a variety of operations in major cities, all while being a zero-emission vehicle.

As the emerging UAM market begins to firm up, Airbus is benefitting from years of dedicated research and innovation, having tested two eVTOL demonstrators (Vahana and CityAirbus) and sound reduction technology across its portfolio of products. Furthermore, Airbus has used extensive subscale flight testing and wind tunnel campaigns and has leveraged its computing and modelling power. CityAirbus NextGen is currently in a detailed design phase. For this, Airbus has teamed up with Thales and Diehl Aerospace for the joint development of the flight control computers that will be integrated into the prototype. CityAirbus NextGen’s first flight is planned for 2023 and its certification for 2025. 

CityAirbus NextGen is a flagship aircraft, designed to help lead the way towards the decarbonization of the aviation industry as a whole. It incorporates the main principles of Airbus’ sustainability strategy into the design from the very beginning and builds on the experience of partners with expertise in urban environments.

The prototype for CityAirbus NextGen is set to become a technological lever in the creation of a more efficient and sustainable urban ecosystem. Beyond the vehicle, Airbus’ approach to decarbonized mobility relies on collaboration to prepare the necessary infrastructure and intermodality to ensure the most useful service to urban communities.

For more information contact:
Jasnna Pempelfort
Communications Manager, Latin America & the Caribbean
jasnna.pempelfort@airbus.com