The Airbus Zephyr HAPS system. Photo: Airbus

Aalto HAPS has received a key regulatory approval in the U.K. The company which designs, manufactures and operates the stratospheric, solar-powered Zephyr high altitude platform station (HAPS), has secured its Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Aalto says this is the first DOA to be issued to a HAPS company in the U.K. Aalto announced the approval on July 25.

The announcement follows several months of engagement with the CAA as Aalto progressed the process for a Type Certification of its latest Zephyr Z8 aircraft. U.K.-based companies must be granted a DOA before securing a Type Certification, an airworthiness standard that will help facilitate the commercial activation and rollout of Aalto’s services globally.

As part of the DOA, the CAA led an initial review encompassing the company’s procedures, facilities and competency of its design team. The DOA certifies AALTO is an organization with capabilities to design aircraft to the highest standards. Aalto is now working closely with the CAA on the Type Certification of Zephyr ahead of a targeted entry-into- service in 2026.

“This is a significant milestone for the industrial and commercial roadmap of Zephyr. Following a landmark investment in our business and the beginning of our comprehensive flight season, this approval underscores the regulatory confidence in HAPS as we demonstrate the potential of providing cutting-edge services from the stratosphere. The UK Civil Aviation Authority continues to show its global leadership as an enabler of sustainable technology such as Zephyr, which remains at the forefront of solar-powered innovation,” Samer Halawi, CEO of Aalto said in a statement.

Read more: Samer Halawi Says Aalto HAPS Technology is the ‘Best of Both Worlds’