Air Taxi Company Takes Order for 50 Flying Vehicles

Electric aerial vehicle (EAV) maker Eve Air Mobility received an order for up to 50 of its eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles from the largest helicopter air charter service in Japan.

AirX Inc. signed a letter of intent to purchase 10 EAVs from Eve Air with an option to purchase 40 more and announced the launch of the Greater Tokyo Area’s first eVTOL test field, the urban air mobility (UAM) Center.

In addition to Japan, Eve is working with customers in Australia, India and South Korea.

“We appreciate AirX’s trust and confidence in Eve by not only purchasing our eVTOL aircraft, but services and operations solutions and our Vector – the urban air traffic management software,” said Eve CEO Johann Bordais. “Japan has been progressive in their approach and interest in eVTOL operations and we look forward to continuing to expand our relationships and as we support Japan’s urban air mobility objectives going forward.”

Eve recently selected Honeywell for navigation, sensors and lighting systems for its flying vehicles.

The EAV maker, which is backed by Embraer, plans to use Honeywell’s GPS-aided attitude and heading reference systems and inertial reference systems in its eVTOL vehicle.

Those systems aid the pilots while navigating the eVTOL and Eve Air also plans to use Honeywell systems for landing, taxi and anti-collision lighting.

Related:Flying Taxi Service Planned for Miami, South Florida

Eve Air’s fixed wing EAV uses a lift and cruise configuration with eight propellers for vertical flight and has a range of 60 miles.

The company plans to use seats from Recaro Aircraft Seating and horizontal and vertical tail, including the rudder and elevator, from FACC.

Eve Air and UrbanX in Miami plan to launch eVTOL commuter flights throughout South Florida by 2026, when the first 10 Eve eVTOLs are expected to be delivered.

GlobalX agreed to purchase 200 flying vehicles from Eve Air in 2022 and established UrbanX as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GlobalX. 

The Florida flights are intended to help commuters navigate short distances and avoid traffic congestion and improve travel times. 

Road travel times in Miami can be challenging because of delays caused by the frequent opening of numerous draw bridges as boats navigate through the many channels.

The electric flying service in Florida is subject to approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation.

Eve Air is growing arrangements with low-cost carriers.

For example, the company teamed with Flynas, a low-cost airline in Saudi Arabia, to explore starting eVTOL services in Riyadh and Jeddah.

Related:Flying Vehicle Company Plans for Saudi Arabia; Embraer-Backed

Eve Air and Korean airline Jeju Air, the largest low-cost airline in Korea, recently created initial plans for EAV on Jeju Island. South Korea already had been laying the groundwork for urban air mobility. 

Eve Air also has been working with cities, countries and regulatory authorities to establish concepts of operations in the U.S., Brazil and U.K. 

Eve Air and Hunch Mobility, a joint venture between Hunch Ventures and Blade Air Mobility, already were working together to make Bangalore the launch city for urban air mobility in Bangalore, India.

The Eve Air vehicle is eventually aimed at becoming self-flying.

Eve Air recently signed a deal with DHL Supply Chain to study the supply chain characteristics for Eve’s eVTOL vehicle operations.

Eve’s backlog orders of its EAV totals 2,850 flying vehicles, according to the company.

The company also has created urban air traffic management software with its first eVTOL deliveries. Eve Air has agreements for its four-passenger EAV to fly in numerous countries in addition to Brazil.

The company is not alone in establishing a global presence. Archer Aviation and InterGlobe Enterprises signed a deal to launch an air taxi service in India in 2026, including the purchase of up to 200 of the Archer Midnight EAVs.

Related:Flying Vehicle Company Plans for Korea Operations; Backed by Embraer

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