South Korea’s PLANA is all set to expand its wings in the US with new branches in Silicon Valley and Irvine, California. This expansion will accelerate the FAA certification process of the Advance Air Mobility (AAM) aircraft and aid PLANA in global expansion.
PLANA also plans to partner with other American companies to expand the ecosystem for its AAM aircraft.
In the US, eVTOL aircraft are also required to meet the safety standards applicable to large transport class aircraft, and all certification processes must be completed before the product can be marketed and exported to the US and other countries.
“FAA certification is one of the most important processes for companies in the aerospace industry, and we plan to increase our interactions in the newly created AAM market with the establishment of a US subsidiary, as well as FAA certification,” said Braden Kim, CEO of PLANA.
PLANA is developing an aircraft that uses sustainable aviation fuel in its turbogenerator-based serial hybrid powertrain, and thereby reduces carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80% compared to existing helicopters. Its aircraft can operate over 500 km with five people including a pilot. The company is currently conducting test flights and verification of fifth-scale aircraft.