#UAMglossary: DOA and POA

January 21, 2022|

Share

This time around, the #UAMglossary will be looking at two associated terms: DOA and POA.

What, then, do DOA and POA stand for - and what do they mean?

Let's start with the DOA, or Design Organisation Approval. To achieve this, a company must be able to ensure that the initial design, modification, or repair of an aircraft meets all the requirements for certification, environmental protection, and operational suitability. Volocopter already holds DOA.

In a similar vein, a company that holds a POA, or Production Organisation Approval, must implement and maintain a quality control system guaranteeing that its production facilities adhere to the approved production data.

Put simply, the DOA certifies the creation process for the aircraft design, while the POA allows the company to move from design to the next step in the aircraftr manufacturing process: namely, production.

In order to qualify for both approvals, applicants must pass a multi-stage process that can take up to two years. During this process, EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency) audits all relevant aspects of the applicant company and its processes. This means the applicant company must ensure that every department, process, and system meets the high standards applied to all airline operators. Consequently, ultimate awarding of the DOA and POA constitute a significant seal of approval, expressing as they do EASA's recognition of the company's high quality across its design and production setup.

DOA, POA & Volocopter

Volocopter was granted DOA (EASA Part-21 J) in 2019 and POA (EASA Part-21 G) in 2021. These are huge milestones, as EASA’s approval is a prerequisite in the commercial launch and obtaining type certification for new types of aircraft such as the VoloCity and VoloConnect.

Volocopter holds both DOA and POA approvals, thus giving us a competitive advantage in bringing urban air mobility to life. More importantly, as of January 2022 Volocopter was the first and only eVTOL company to have received both DOA and POA approval from EASA. These approvals help to elevate Volocopter to the ranks of major aviation companies.

BONUS: More information on the certification process we are pursuing ahead of commercial launch - initially for our VoloCity air taxi, and for further aircraft at a later stage - is explained in our certification rundown.