EASA Proposes Noise Certification Rules For EVTOLs

Europe’s aviation regulator has released proposed noise certification rules for electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft, filling a gap in the regulatory framework for advanced air mobility.

A 2021 survey by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on the societal acceptance of urban air mobility revealed that noise is the second greatest concern of EU citizens, after safety. But the regulator follows International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 16 standards for aircraft noise, including for helicopters and tiltrotors, and the lack of standards applicable to what EASA calls VTOL-capable aircraft (VCA) means noise certification is not possible.

In the absence of global standards, EASA is proposing to create a delegated, or non-legislative, act that would be adopted by the European Commission to establish noise certification standards for VCA, along with related acceptable means of compliance and guidance material.

EASA notes that other regulators, including the FAA, Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), are moving to develop noise certification standards for eVTOL aircraft. ICAO is also developing noise standards for “emerging technology aircraft,” but their timing is underdetermined.

The European regulator intends to issue an opinion on the draft legislation in the fourth quarter of 2026 at the latest so that the delegated act can be adopted in early 2027. This aligns with expected type certification timelines for the leading eVTOL developers.

New noise certification standards are required, EASA says, because IACO Annex 16 does not include source noise correction to the level of detail needed for VCA, hindering accuracy and repeatability. Also, lower noise measurement heights are needed because the noise levels of VCA are expected to be lower than those of helicopters and tiltrotors. 

Additionally, while hover noise certification for helicopters and tiltrotors is not included in Annex 16, EASA proposes that VCA hover noise should be measured and reported by the manufacturer so that it can be taken into account in the eventual certification standard.

The proposed noise certification regulation is based on environmental protection technical specifications (EPTS) published by EASA in December 2023 for VCAs equipped with non-tilting rotors and in July 2024 for vehicles with tilting rotors. These provide manufacturers with a standardized method for determining the noise levels of their aircraft.

The EPTS for VCA with non-tilting rotors were based on ICAO Annex 16 standards for helicopters due to the similarity in design characteristics, while specifications for those with tilting rotors were based on Annex 16 standards for tiltrotors for the same reason. Major differences are the inclusion of a nacelle angle parameter and two flight modes for the overflight noise measurement: wingborne and thrustborne.