Dufour Aerospace forms Partnership for Deployment of eVTOL Aircraft in Australia

Dufour Aerospace, a Swiss company developing tilt-wing eVTOL aircraft, has announced a partnership with new Australian firm V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation for eVTOL applications in Australia.

Above: Rendering of Dufour Aerospace’s eVTOL on a potential rescue or cargo mission in Australia

Australian firm V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation is a newly formed venture by a group of business leaders with significant experience in defense, commercial, and search and rescue operations around the globe, and was created through a merger between two leading South Australia aviation businesses.

According to recent press release from Dufour, V-STAR sees the potential for many domestic applications of VTOL aircraft in Australia, and hopes to take advantage of the unique market opportunities presented by Dufour’s aircraft.

Said V-STAR’s CEO and Founder Tony Laws: “These new aircraft designs will change the way we approach regional travel and transport in Australia. Anywhere we need to get people and equipment quickly and cheaply is where these aeroplanes come in.”

The agreement between Dufour and V-STAR will give V-STAR early access to Dufour’s unmanned and manned tilt-wing aircraft. The unmanned aircraft will be capable of carrying up to 88 lbs of cargo, while the manned version could carry up to 7 passengers plus a pilot, or about 1600 lbs of cargo.

Dufour’s Co-Founder and CEO Thomas Pfammatter commented: “We are very much looking forward to exploring the many opportunities for deploying unmanned and manned tilt-wing aircraft in Australia. The formation of V-STAR Powered Lift Aviation marks an important milestone in this journey. We are proud to be working with such an experienced team to move sustainable aviation forward.”

Dufour has over 30 years of experience in Swiss commercial helicopter operations, and has been working on its eVTOL program since 2018. Watch a recent test flight video of a scale prototype from Dufour below:

Why it’s important: With this announcement, V-STAR and Dufour aerospace have given themselves additional credibility on the market, and have begun to set up a path to commercial operations for Dufour’s eVTOL aircraft. With the aerial mobility on the rise in Australia, Dufour and V-STAR are now well set up to make their mark on this new aerial transportation industry.

Source // Dufour Aerospace

Related:

• Australia Releases Timeline for Advanced Aerial Mobility Progress; Skyportz Positions for Future (July 2022)
• Savback Helicopters to distribute Dufour Aerospace eVTOL aircraft in Scandinavia (January 2022)
• A First Look at Aero3, Dufour Aerospace’s Flagship eVTOL Aircraft (August 2021)
• Dufour and Blueberry Aviation Enter Strategic Partnership (April 2022)