GlobalSky: South Korean eVTOL startup PLANA has established U.S. branches in Silicon Valley and Irvine, California to speed up its aircraft certification process.

The company will continue to partner with other U.S. companies and expand businesses into the global markets, while working closely with the U.S. authorities to certificate its hybrid-electric aircraft.

In the U.S., electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are required to obtain Federal Aviation Administration certification (FAA) after meeting certain safety standards for all parts of a passenger aircraft, including design, type and production qualification of the airframe.

“FAA certification is one of the most important processes for companies in the aerospace industry,” said Braden J. Kim, CEO of PLANA. “With the establishment of the U.S. subsidiary, we plan to increase our interactions in the newly created AAM market as well as FAA certification.”

PLANA has a unique market focus in developing hybrid-electric aircraft for long-range travel. Its aircraft are designed to fly over 500km with five people including a pilot. The company plans to conduct its subscale eVTOL flight tests later in 2023.