Category: Operators

REGENT, the company pursuing electric seagliders for sustainable maritime transportation, has announced a strategic investment from Japan Airlines Innovation Fund, the venture arm of Japan Airlines (JAL).  

“This strategic investment speaks to the growing adoption of seaglider technology by major airlines,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT.  “At REGENT, we’re at the helm of ushering in a completely new era in sustainable transportation, and  JAL Innovation Fund’s investment gives us the resources and support that we need to unveil an innovative approach for regional travel at lower costs, faster speeds, and zero emissions.”

Seagliders are a new mode of transportation that combines the high speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of a boat. These all-electric, zero-emission vessels operate over the water and leverage existing dock infrastructure to carry people and goods up to 180 miles between coastal destinations.

The REGENT seaglider is an all-electric wing-in-ground effect vehicle, meaning it flies low (within one wingspan) over the water to take advantage of numerous aerodynamic and operational efficiencies, enabling increased payload capability and greater range than other electric aircraft concepts. The seaglider operates in three modes: from the dock, the vehicle first drives on its hull like a traditional boat. As it leaves the harbor area and speeds up, it rises on its retractable hydrofoil, which offers significant wave tolerance and a smooth ride as it leaves a crowded harbor. Upon reaching open water, the vehicle transitions onto its wing, retracting the foil and accelerating up to cruise speed—all while staying within a wingspan of the water’s surface. Driving a seaglider is enabled by coupling advanced digital flight software with simple boat controls.

REGENT has sold over 400 seagliders to date, to global aviation and ferry customers including Mokulele Airlines, Southern Airways Express, FRS (Germany), and Ocean Flyer (New Zealand). With more than $7.5 billion in orders from commercial operating partners around the world, REGENT aims for its 12-passenger seaglider, Viceroy, to enter service by mid-decade.

“We are very pleased to make this investment in REGENT from our CVC, JAL Innovation Fund,” says Yasushi Noda, Executive Officer, Senior Vice President – Digital Innovation at Japan Airlines. “We believe seagliders are a safe, sustainable, and economical solution and we are excited to work with REGENT to assess demand not only in Japan but around the world. We are delighted to add seagliders to JAL’s list of new challenges and are honored to work with REGENT to explore the possibilities of seagliders.” 

In addition to the investment, REGENT and JAL are working together to explore opportunities for ecosystem development, bringing together relevant stakeholders to deliver the benefits of seagliders to new and underserved markets. REGENT’s investors to date include Thiel Capital, Y Combinator, Founders Fund, and Mark Cuban. 

Why it’s important: This investment in REGENT serves as a first step in the exploration of incorporating seagliders into JAL’s global network and highlights its commitment to sustainable transportation. With this investment, REGENT has raised over $45 million to date. REGENT has also furthered its global reach that was substantiated largely by a recent commitment from German ferry operator, FRS, to operate the seagliders. REGENT’s growing portfolio of international customers also includes Ocean Flyer in New Zealand, Split Express in Croatia, and Brittany Ferries in the United Kingdom and France.

Eviation Aircraft, manufacturer of the all-electric Alice aircraft, announced that Aerus, an emerging regional airline in Mexico, has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for 30 commuter aircraft.

The nine-seater Alice is the world’s first flight-tested all-electric commuter aircraft. Built from a clean- sheet design, the Alice produces no emissions and costs significantly less to operate per flight hour compared to light jets or high-end turboprops. It is powered by two magni650 electric propulsion units developed by magniX, the global industry leader in flight-proven electric propulsion systems.

Aerus is a new market entrant committed to sustainable and carbon-free technology. Launching commercial operations in 2023, Aerus will utilize Monterrey Airport (MTY) as its regional hub, offering an expanded flight schedule and covering routes that no other airlines currently operate. By introducing electric aircraft into its fleet, Aerus aims to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2033.

“Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden visited Mexico, where he and his counterpart, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, highlighted the economic opportunities created by the clean energy transition. The introduction of the Alice is certainly one of those opportunities,” said Eddie Jaisaree, Vice President, Commercial Sales at Eviation. “The aircraft offers a more enjoyable flight experience, lower operating costs, and meets the demand for zero-carbon technology that we are seeing from governments, regulators and the public. We are very pleased to receive this order from Aerus.”

“As we enter into service, our objective is to create new opportunities for regional travel in Mexico that are environmentally and economically sustainable,” said Javier Herrera García, CEO of Aerus. “Working with Eviation to bring a zero-emissions fleet to our region will transform the way we experience air travel and connect communities like never before.”

“Just as Uber disrupted the taxi market, Alice promises to usher in ‘UberAir’ through the introduction of low-cost, point-to-point air travel,” said Gregory Davis, President and CEO at Eviation. “Our aircraft is an ideal fit for Aerus as a large number of flights in northern Mexico are already less than 250 miles. We are always pleased to receive the endorsement of forward-thinking airlines that are keen to address the climate challenge and be part of the future of aviation.”

Why it’s important: Aerus intends to utilize Alice for middle-mile travel across regions including Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Veracruz, providing historically underserved communities in northern areas of the country with access to carbon-free, cost-effective and convenient air travel. This will markedly expand the global reach of Eviation in a new region, thereby edging early market share in the electric aviation industry and accelerating adoption of sustainable aviation in Mexico.

Source // Eviation press release

Lilium has expanded into the UK market with eVolare by signing a binding contract which includes pre-delivery payment for up to 20 Lilium eVTOL aircraft. This partnership includes a firm commitment for 10 Lilium Pioneer Edition Jets, with an option to purchase an additional 10 Lilium Pioneer Edition Jets later on.

eVolare, a subsidiary of Volare Aviation, is one of the United Kingdom’s largest helicopter and private jet operators. The company is now poised to be Lilium’s lead partner and launch operator in the UK for sales of the Lilium Jet to private individuals.

The order coincides with the formal launch of the Lilium Pioneer Edition aircraft, which comes with a compelling service, support, and training package, as well as customizable options for the cabin configuration and exclusive fabrics and materials. In addition, eVolare will provide safe and reliable operation of Lilium’s aircraft from Oxford, running a maintenance service centre and investing in landing infrastructure for Lilium’s UK network.

Dustin Dryden, founder of eVolare said: “The revolutionary technology of the Lilium Pioneer Edition Jet coupled with its unique, premium cabin, made it a natural choice for us when looking to meet the future demands of an environmental conscious market. For all our customers, we can offer point to point time-saving travels in a sustainable, safe manner while introducing some incredibly exciting innovation to the UK market.” 

Above: The executive configuration of the Lilium Jet’s interior

Klaus Roewe, CEO of Lilium said: “We are delighted to launch our Lilium Pioneer Edition Jet with eVolare. Not only is the demand for sustainable regional air mobility in London high but eVolare’s experience serving customers with business jets and helicopters operations is a great fit to our commercial first phase: getting the premium segment to adopt our aircraft while preparing the entire ecosystem for a larger market. eVolare’s visionary approach to sustainable air mobility also makes them the perfect partner for the United Kingdom.”

Why it’s important: This agreement between Lilium and eVolare will provide an opportunity for customers that regularly travel between locations within the UK to be part of an exclusive group of early adopters that can experience the future of sustainable regional air mobility. By association with such a leading voice in the private aviation sector, Lilium will benefit from eVolare’s extensive expertise within the UK aviation network, and its premium market to manage Lilium Pioneer Edition Jets in the UK.

EHang this week announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with HAECO, a subsidiary of Swire Group and a world leading aircraft engineering and maintenance company. The two parties plan to cooperate in multiple areas such as manufacturing and assembly, continued airworthiness, digital platforms, aircraft maintenance, and talent training. The focus is to co-develop systems and solutions that cater to the needs of continued airworthiness and after-sales maintenance services in preparation for the commercial operation of EH216-S, EHang’s passenger-grade autonomous aerial vehicle.

Jacqueline Jiang, Group Director, Airframe Services of HAECO Group, noted, “Advanced air mobility is a blooming new segment in the aviation industry. We are excited to take part and look forward to developing this together with EHang. With over 70 years of experience in the industry and offering a wide range of aviation products and services, HAECO is well positioned to support EHang and jointly develop the systems, standards, and services required in advanced air mobility.”

Xin Fang, Chief Operating Officer of EHang, stated, “EHang is honored to cooperate with HAECO Group, a partner with solid Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (“MRO”) strength in the global aviation industry, to co-develop EHang’s AAV after-sales maintenance service system to provide our customers with higher quality and more efficient services across the globe, which will also facilitate the continued airworthiness of EH216-S AAV after the completion of its airworthiness certification. Moreover, this partnership is a critical step EHang has taken for its strategic goal of becoming an urban air mobility (“UAM”) platform operator, and it will also drive the emerging global UAM industry to explore more comprehensive, efficient, and sustainable operating service mechanism and ecosystem.”

Why it matters: HAECO is a well reputed global aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) supplier providing line and base services for the industry’s leading operators. By partnering with EHang, the two companies can leverage their experience to provide a premium ownership and operating experience to customers. With a global network of talent, HAECO also will be able to provide services wherever EHang can obtain certification of its EH216-S vehicle.

Airbus is partnering with Japanese helicopter operator Hiratagakuen to develop advanced air mobility services in the Kansai region and beyond. This is a key addition to the company’s strong regional footprint and growing international network to pioneer the future of mobility.

Through this agreement, Airbus and Hiratagakuen will tackle crucial aspects required to launch a commercial transportation service with CityAirbus NextGen. As a major first step, the partners’ joint project to organise a simulation of ideal routes, concepts of operations and necessary equipment for safe eVTOL flights in the Kansai region, has been selected by the Osaka prefecture, with a demonstration flight scheduled for later this year.

With the aim to implement air mobility services beyond urban environments, the joint work of Airbus and Hiratagakuen will support the development of advanced air mobility solutions with CityAirbus NextGen, for use cases ranging from air medical services to commercial air transport and ecotourism in a variety of operational contexts. To reach this objective, and with the support of local stakeholders, Airbus and Hiratagakuen will use an H135 helicopter to test advanced navigation and communication technologies for safe operations of eVTOLs in urban environments, while simulating CityAirbus NextGen’s flight configuration.

Mitsuhiro Hirata, Vice President, Aviation Operation Division of Hiratagakuen, said “We are very pleased to conduct a demonstration flight in the Osaka-Kansai region with Airbus for the future of mobility, using the latest H135 helicopter. We have been operating Airbus helicopters for many years and highly appreciate their high safety, performance, operational reliability and proven after-sales support. We are aware that a revolution in air transportation is now approaching in the Osaka area, and we expect CityAirbus NextGen to play a central role in this revolution.”

Balkiz Sarihan, Head of UAM Strategy Execution and Partnerships at Airbus, said: “We are honoured to further our long standing collaboration with Hiratagakuen by working on this exciting journey towards zero emission flights. Their expertise in commercial air transport and air medical services operations makes them an ideal partner for defining the operational framework for advanced air mobility with CityAirbus NextGen in Japan”.

Hiratagakuen is a Kansai-based helicopter operator who specialises in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), transportation of personnel, flight training, and maintenance. The company’s current fleet includes 14 H135 and two H145 helicopters.

In September 2021, Airbus unveiled its eVTOL prototype CityAirbus NextGen, to explore advanced air mobility technologies and bring urban air mobility services to life. The Company just announced the construction of a dedicated centre to test the aircraft’s systems in the lead up to its maiden flight. Airbus is also working closely with industrial and institutional partners to lead the development of urban air mobility ecosystems, as recently announced with ITA Airways in Italy, or through the launch of the Air Mobility Initiative in Germany.

Related: MAGicaALL Motors Selected to Power CityAirbus NextGen

Why it’s important: The relationship between Airbus and Japan dates back over 60 years, during which over 600 commercial and fixed wing and rotorcraft have been delivered to Japanese operators. Airbus leads the Japanese helicopter market with over 50% market share in the civil and parapublic sectors, and over 370 helicopters in service with 100 customers. In Kobe, Airbus’ helicopter facilities offer a strong suite of helicopter products, training services and turnkey solutions across emergency medical services, law enforcement, electronic news gathering, and parapublic segments. The segue to eVTOL operations should be a relatively seamless transition as the company relationships and much of the urban air and ground infrastructure has already been established via these longstanding relationships.

Source // Airbus press release

Manta Aircraft and Avionord, a private air transport company highly specialized in medical air transport, have entered into an agreement to field as many as 15 hybrid-electric long-range vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft derived from the Manta Aircraft “ANN” platform in its medical services configuration. Avionord also invests in Manta Aircraft and takes a stake in the company. Deliveries are expected to start in 2026.

Because the hybrid-electric Manta aircraft features vertical take-off and landing and long-range flight capabilities, it is able to connect between helipads at hospitals in several different cities. This, combined with Manta’s low infrastructure requirements, low noise emissions, and cost effectiveness over traditional helicopters, results in new point-to-point capabilities and economic opportunities for regional medical transportation missions.

Above: The Manta eVTOL could provide quicker response times, smoother transport, and faster transportation to hospitals in cases of auto accidents and similar emergencies over traditional ground-based ambulances.

Lucas Marchesini, CEO of Manta Aircraft, comments: “We are very pleased of this partnership with Avionord, who have recognized the uniqueness of the ANN platform in terms of range, pushing into the direction of creating a real use case that will contribute to the rapid establishment of Advanced Air Mobility. From the outset, the design of the aircraft was planned for a relevant range and speed in combination with the low infrastructure requirements and overall costs at a fraction of the cost of a helicopter, in order to be suitable for this kind of operations.”

Said Avionord CEO Eugenio Cremascoli: “We are honored to be working with Manta Aircraft. After analyzing the market and considering our time-critical missions, we see that the Manta ANN platform is today the only eVTOL offering a range of several hundred kms, which is useful for the missions to transport quickly organs for transplantation from one hospital to another, avoiding being dependent on airports and road transport. The ANN eVTOLs will enable us to reduce the transportation time of the organs, that have a limited life when not connected to the dedicated machines, using aircraft with a reduced operating cost.”

Above: A Manta eVTOL is rendered performing a medical rescue mission for snow skiers

The investment of Avionord in Manta Aircraft follows the investment of other Italian tech companies and of the State-led CDP VC, in the effort to expedite the creation of an Italian AAM ecosystem. Manta is currently developing several kinds of hybrid-electric, long-range, vertical and short take-off and landing air vehicles designed for regional air mobility, planning to begin certification of the first two-seat, multi-purpose model ANN2 in 2023.

Why it’s important: The agreement between Manta Aircraft and Avionord establishes a promising partnership that will foster the development of an aerial mobility ecosystem in Italy, both for emergency services and for passenger-carrying operations. The initial use of Manta’s aircraft is planned mostly in special transports of organs for transplants, transport of equipment for re-perfusion of organs destined for transplantation, and for possible rapid-intervention operations, but later uses will likely include passenger transportation, which is Manta’s eventual goal.

Source // Manta Aircraft

Read more about Manta here

Wisk Aero, the Bay-Area California based Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company, is partnering with Skyports to integrate autonomous, electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations at vertiports and other ground-based infrastructure. The partnership marks a significant milestone as a collaboration between a vertiport developer-operator and an autonomous eVTOL developer in the U.S.

While AAM services will initially launch with piloted vehicles, Wisk, Skyports, and the broader industry recognize that autonomy is the key to unlocking the scalability, accessibility, and affordability needed to realize the full potential and total addressable market of AAM. Wisk and Skyports are defining autonomous eVTOL vertiport operations in order to ensure that vertiports and other ground-based infrastructure will be capable of supporting the autonomous operations needed for long-term success.

The partnership is evaluating core areas, including physical aircraft considerations (functions, capabilities, requirements, interfaces, and support), passenger accommodation, schedule management, ground operations management, final approach and takeoff management, navigational aids, situational awareness, contingency management, and airspace design.

The partnership has released a first-of-its-kind Concept of Operations (ConOps), which identifies how autonomous eVTOL aircraft and operators will integrate with vertiports, including interactions with Providers of Services for UAM (PSUs). The ConOps outlines the upgrades, retrofits, and procedure changes that will be required to accommodate safe operations for autonomous eVTOL aircraft. It also defines the journey of an autonomous eVTOL aircraft and its relationship to UAM-specific, aircraft-agnostic infrastructure and the necessary systems and interactions between the aircraft, the aircraft’s fleet operator, and the vertiport.

Related: Wisk Aero to Bring Advanced Air Mobility to Southern California

“We are excited to partner with Skyports, a leader in vertiports and AAM infrastructure,” said Gary Gysin, CEO of Wisk. “It is critical that future operations are autonomous for safety, scalability, and affordability. With this ConOps, Wisk and Skyports are helping to define those future operations while ensuring the long-term success and full potential of this industry.”

“It’s important that infrastructure built today can accommodate the aircraft of tomorrow,” said Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports. “We are thrilled to be partnered with Wisk as they push the bounds of aircraft systems innovation. The ConOps and our continued work on the development of vehicle-agnostic vertiports and ground-based infrastructure will ensure that this industry is well prepared to safely integrate autonomous operations in the future.”

Why it’s important: To date, the AAM industry has been heavily focused on the development of aircraft and associated technology. Today’s announcement and the release of the ConOps highlights the critical importance of evaluating operational considerations for infrastructure and other ecosystem elements as the industry approaches the launch of both piloted and autonomous operations.

Overair has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Bristow Group Inc. The two companies plan to collaborate on the development of the Overair Butterfly‘s commercialization plans.

Rendering of the Overair Butterfly eVTOL with Bristow Group branding

Bristow has pre-ordered 20 to 50 Butterfly aircraft and both companies will work together to develop an operations development framework focusing on vehicle design considerations, key performance parameters, FAA certification, flight planning best practices, data sharing for improvement of flight operations, connected vehicle and health monitoring strategies, configuration and maintenance protocols, infrastructure, ground support operations, connected fleet management, and government affairs and promotion of eVTOL operations.

“Bristow’s decades of vertical lift experience will greatly enhance Butterfly’s path to commercialization. Their operating insight, combined with our development and execution of the Butterfly program, will position Butterfly to serve Bristow as a valuable workhorse on high-density routes,” said Ben Tigner, Chief Executive Officer of Overair. “We’re elated to learn from Bristow’s practical expertise and ultimately deliver an aircraft optimized for their use cases.”

“Our MOU with Overair allows us to advance our leadership position in the vertical transportation market that we’ve built over the past 70+ years and will now set the stage for the next generation of vertical flight. Our collaboration facilitates expansion into new high-density geographic markets with sustainable, innovative and efficient vertical lift and aerial transport services,” said Bristow President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Bradshaw. “As the global leader in vertical lift, Bristow’s operational expertise and efficiency, supported by the trust and confidence of our customers, can safely bring eVTOL aircraft into the market.”

Rendering of OverAir’s Butterfly in forward flight

Bristow, one of the world’s largest and most experienced helicopter operators, plans to use the unique attributes of Overair’s eVTOL aircraft to help reduce its carbon footprint. The company recognizes the benefits of a varied fleet and intends to diversify its existing operations with Butterfly and other eVTOLs for commercial air taxi routes in metropolitan areas. Notably, of the vehicles Bristow is currently considering, Butterfly is the only aircraft with a vectored thrust configuration.

Bristow expects to optimize its fleet management strategy by matching eVTOL attributes with the most economically productive mission profiles. Butterfly’s low-noise profile, payload capacity and ability to fly in a broad range of weather conditions will be well-suited for high-density, noise sensitive routes in geographies with varied environmental concerns. The Butterfly aircraft features low maintenance costs and mechanical simplicity, which enables high vehicle uptime and utilization, increasing operator margins and passing value on to riders.

Overair’s Butterfly on the landing pad

Overair’s experience developing military-grade rotorcraft propulsion systems is expected to unlock a highly strategic collaboration between the two companies. Work is set to begin immediately, focusing on FAA certification planning, a robust safety operating culture, and other unique aspects of vertical flight operations.

Why it matters: Bristow brings extensive experience in commercial operations to Overair’s expertly-designed eVTOL aircraft. Together, the two will use their expertise to effectively integrate eVTOL operations into Bristow’s existing fleet, introducing new possibilities for the companies’ offerings and passing value on to customers.