Next-generation aircraft developer Eve is finishing what has already been an eventful 2022 with a pair of deals to prepare for the introduction of future electric vertical takeoff and landing planes (eVTOL) and other advanced air mobility (AAM) services.
The first of the two agreements signed this month was with Brazilian AAM company FlyBIS Aviation, which included a purchase option of up to 40 Eve eVTOL planes. In addition to the aircraft transaction, the agreement calls for the companies to work together developing next-generation air transportation in Brazil and South America.
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Based in the city of Caxias do Sul, FlyBIS will initially begin regional AAM services across Brazil’s southern states using Eve eVTOL planes, and gradually expand those to other South American nations. The startup is backed by Brave Aviation, which operates air transportation services using tradition aircraft manufactured by Eve’s mother company Embraer.
The new deal clearly looks to extend those previous ties into the creation of sustainable, emission-free activities.
“This new collaboration with FlyBIS will enable us to expand the future of air mobility to southern areas of Brazil and other South American countries,” said Andre Stein, Eve’s co-CEO. “This region has several high-traffic tourist areas that will benefit from eVTOL operations, reinforcing our commitment to fostering the urban air mobility market in different regions around the world.”
The FlyBIS option for 40 eVTOL planes increased Eve’s total order log to 2,770 craft – top among all AAM competitors, the company said.
Given the expected launch of both air taxi and longer AAM services in the next couple years, Eve has also been busy preparing ground facilities and navigational systems that will be needed to operate those. That was behind the other agreement it signed this month with vertiport design and construction specialist Volatus Infrastructure.
The deal calls for Eve to supply an automation system for Volatus Infrastructure vertiports to support traffic management of eVTOL vehicles using the facilities for AAM services. As part of that, Eve’s urban air traffic management software will be incorporated to improve the capacity and efficiency of Volatus’s infrastructure.
Founded in 2021 in anticipation of the large amount of work still needing to be done on the ground to enable air taxi and longer-haul AAM services, Volatus Infrastruction provides three main eVTOL vertiport configurations, featuring agnostic craft charging stations and maintenance services.
“Eve’s new vertiport software solution will enable Volatus to ensure safe, reliable and efficient eVTOL flight operations,” said Grant Fisk, Volatus Infrastructure cofounder. “It’s vitally important to get these systems up and running so that when the FAA approves the first eVTOL vehicle, we are ready to serve them. Together, we are laying a rock-solid foundation that the UAM industry will be building upon for decades.”
Read: United adds Eve Mobility as AAM partner in multimillion-dollar deal
Even before the new business partnerships tied up in December, Eve had turned in a series of significant breakthroughs in marketing its AAM activities, and selling it still conceptual eVTOL aircraft.
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