Embraer’s Eve air taxi unit racks up UAM deals at Farnborough airshow

Aircraft manufacturing group Embraer’s air taxi unit, Eve, has announced a pair of deals related to future urban air mobility (UAM) activities, including supplying its air traffic management software to aerial travel services provider Halo Aviation.

The company joined the growing list of next generation aircraft developers and potential clients pairing up against the backdrop of the Farnborough International Airshow. In its communiques, Eve Mobility said it had signed accords under which Halo will help with the development and later integrate Eve’s UAM and air taxi traffic management system into its own operations. Shortly after, Eve said it had also signed a non-binding agreement with UK aerospace and defense specialist BAE to acquire to 150 electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) for possible use in security missions.

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The moves involve Eve taking existing relationships it had with both companies further, and deepening potential use of its craft by defense clients as well as UAM and air taxi service providers. 

Last December, Eve revealed it was involved in parent company Embraer’s plans with BAE to develop eVTOL for use in military or security missions. At the time, it hailed the new step as additional proof that the industry was already looking at next generation craft as more than merely short-hop conveyance for travelers seeking to avoid traffic-clogged city roads.

“We are thrilled that Embraer and BAE Systems have chosen Eve as their platform for this collaboration,” said Eve co-CEO Andre Stein, noting the order of 150 additional craft brings the company’s total book to 1,910. “Our eVTOL can be adapted to meet various essential applications in this market, such as humanitarian response and disaster relief. This collaboration also indicates that the defense market can be more sustainable and at the same time allows Eve to remain focused on exploring the urban air mobility market.”

Halo’s decision to join Eve’s UTM development and deployment efforts similarly solidifies an extant relationship. In June of 2021, Halo agreed to pre-order 200 Eve eVTOL craft for UAM and air taxi services it currently provides clients with helicopters. Company CEO Andrew Collins described the deepening partnership as part of Halo’s efforts to be at the forefront of emerging aerial transport tech development.

“Eve has demonstrated why they are going to lead the next generation of flight, and we are extremely excited about this,” Collins said. “Eve…  (has) spent so much time focused on more than just the manufacturing of an eVTOL vehicle but, rather, they are working to deploy a series of agnostic solutions that will significantly drive the creation and overall network performance of UAM. In this particular case, we look forward to collaborating with Eve’s team to bring our current operational insight as a leader in the vertical lift in the US and the UK to help develop and promote Eve’s UATM vision.”