Flying Taxi Company Plans to Update Paris Airport; Embraer Backed

Electric aerial vehicle (EAV) maker Eve Air Mobility, Embraer and Groupe ADP have agreed to work together to prepare for EAV operations at Paris-Le Bourget Airport.

The companies plan to update airport facilities by adding training, maintenance and ground services for eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicles.

Embraer Services and Support plans to transfer its current facilities to a new maintenance building including energy self-sufficiency. The building is expected to double in size from its previous capacity.

“Eve and Groupe ADP have a shared vision of making aviation more sustainable, so this collaboration is an excellent opportunity to support this transition,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve Air. “Eve takes a comprehensive approach to urban air mobility and understands that sustainability must be addressed on all fronts, including service and support facilities and vertiports.”

Eve Air recently released a teaser video of its first, full-scale, early prototype vehicle.

The company came out of Embraer’s business and innovation accelerator and has been working to create a low-sound vehicle with efficient thrust.

Eve Air is also assembling its first full-scale eVTOL working prototype to be used for testing.

The EAV is expected to enter service in 2026 and pre-orders have reached nearly 3,000, according to the company.

Related:Air Taxi Company Releases Teaser Video; Embraer Backed

Eve is leveraging Embraer’s experience of developing, designing and certifying aircraft and it is expected that Eve would use Embraer’s global network of service and support locations.

The Eve eVTOL vehicle uses eight propellers for vertical flight and fixed wings to fly on cruise, with no change of component positions for flight, and has a range of 60 miles. 

Eve Air recently received an order for up to 50 of its EAVs 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.

Eve Air 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.

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

Related:Air Taxi Company Takes Order for 50 Flying Vehicles

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 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.

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 the 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.

Related:Flying Taxi Service Planned for Miami, South Florida

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 has also 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.

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