Electrive writes that the CityAirbus is an eVTOL aircraft powered by batteries, with a range of 80 kilometers and a cruising speed of 120 km/h. eVTOL aircraft are vertical take-off and landing vehicles, with the "e" standing for electric-powered.

Before the maiden flight, Airbus engineers will continue to test the aircraft's electric motors, which power eight propellers, as well as the flight controls and systems. Airbus announced the concept vehicle in 2019 as part of the Urban Air Mobility project, co-developed with Audi. While the initial idea of the upcoming battery-powered vehicle remained the same, the design of the eVTOL craft was revamped altogether.

The 80 km range and 120 km/h speed can be done with the maximum four passengers that the vehicle can accommodate, with the electric craft being "perfectly suited for operations in major cities for a variety of missions."

Airbus mentioned that the fly-by noise is around 65 decibels, while landings produce less than 70.

Balkiz Sarihan, Head of Urban Air Mobility at Airbus, said that "rolling out CityAirbus NextGen for the very first time is an important and very real step that we are taking towards advanced air mobility and our future product and market."

Photo source: Airbus