Limosa Partners with BAC for TCCA Type Certification

Limosa Inc. has joined forces with BAC Aerospace to obtain Type Certification for the LimoConnect, the Canadian air taxi startup’s seven-seater aircraft that can take off vertically or conventionally using runways like airplanes.

Should this be accomplished, Limosa would become the first Canadian electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer to get certification for the Vertical and Conventional Take-off and Landing (eVTOL + eCTOL) aircraft from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA). The Montreal-based firm aims to have this process concluded and introduce the LimoConnect to the market by 2028. 

Limosa recently held an initial aircraft program briefing with Transport Canada. The goal in the near future is to agree on the G-1 certification basis for the design of the LimoConnect. 

Dr. Hamid Hamidi, Founder and CEO of Limosa, acknowledged that BAC will play an instrumental role with its aircraft certification consulting experience in helping the company on its path to Type Certification, especially considering that BAC’s CEO, Chris Baczynski, is a former TCCA National Aircraft Certification expert. 

“We are very excited by this partnership as BAC Aerospace brings decades of experience in certification of aircraft as a Canadian design approval firm and can connect us with the network of representatives and delegates from Transport Canada Civil Aviation,” he said. 

He also stressed the importance of working closely with the regulators to ensure the certification requirements are clearly mapped out. 

“eVTOL aircraft are brand new type aerospace vehicles and being developed to open up a new mode of green transportation for civilians,” Hamidi added. “When developing a new type design, developers must work closely with the regulators since the very beginning in order to set up the certification basis and means of compliance. This is to clear the strategies required as early as possible, as no certification code is available at this time, and other regulators such as FAA and EASA are working in different certification processes.”

Baczynski is thrilled about the partnership and believes that Limosa has the potential to become a key player in the eVTOL sector in Canada. 

“By completing the prototype design with certification requirements in mind, Limosa will avoid the risk of expensive major redesign later on. Being a Canadian company, Limosa is well poised to take advantage of considerable resources of our domestic aerospace sector and the professionalism and experience of our regulator, Transport Canada Civil Aviation,” he said. 

Baczynski brings a significant amount of experience to the table as he is a member of numerous international technical committees developing technologies for eVTOLs. This allows him to work with representatives from some of the industry’s biggest firms, including Archer, Wisk, and Joby Aviation. 

Last month, Limosa announced a few major partnerships in relation to the LimoConnect, including with German seat manufacturer AUTOFLUG, who will supply the crash-safety seating systems. 

A deal was also struck with Airborne to build the prototype airframe, design automated manufacturing lines, and assist Limosa in the process of taking its aircraft from the prototype stage through to production.  

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