Ajdovščina, Slovenia, December 23, 2025 – Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced that the Civil Aviation Authority of South Korea has granted the first safety certificate for a Pipistrel Velis Electro.
The safety certificate, which classifies the Velis Electron as a lightweight aircraft due to the aircraft’s maximum take-off weight of 600 kilograms, enables the aircraft to be operated in South Korea.
The Velis Electro’s Safety Certificate represents the first occasion in South Korea’s 77-year aviation history where national regulators have formally issued a safety certificate to an electric aircraft. Additionally, this certificate opens new opportunities in a market focused on innovation and sustainability, marking a historic achievement for Pipistrel as the first Velis Electro certification in Asia. The Velis Electro continues to be the world’s first and currently only in service, commercially available, type-certified fully electric aircraft.
“The approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of South Korea represents a landmark achievement for Pipistrel, signifying our pioneering introduction of electric aircraft technology into the Asian market and reinforcing the Velis Electro’s expanding global footprint,” said Gabriel Massey, President and Managing Director of Pipistrel. “It’s a testament to our team’s dedication and innovation, and it significantly advances our mission to lead the charge in sustainable aviation, opening new doors for electric flight across the continent.”
In 2024, Pipistrel delivered its first Velis Electro in South Korea to TOFF MOBILITY, which supported research, inspections, flight testing and demonstrations of battery-powered electric flight to help achieve the safety certificate.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro offers a lower-cost and zero emissions platform for pilots. The aircraft’s low-noise profile, producing noise levels of only 60 decibels, and user-friendly avionics, make it an ideal solution for flight training with zero carbon emissions. The aircraft achieved European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification in 2020, United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority certification in 2022 and a subsequent United States Federal Aviation Authority Light-Sport Aircraft airworthiness exemption in 2024. Most recently, in 2025, Transport Canada validated the EASA type certificate for the Velis Electro.
To learn more about Pipistrel’s products, visit https://pipistrel-aircraft.com/.