Jaunt Air Mobility’s eVTOL aircraft to be introduced to Latin American market after company signs LOI with Flapper
Jaunt Air Mobility signed a Letter of Intent with on-demand aviation company, Flapper, with the company set to provide up to 25 of its Jaunt Journey eVTOL aircraft for use in Latin American markets.
Both firms aim to help usher in a new era of transportation in the region, in cities such as Bogota, Mexico City, São Paulo, Santiago and Rio de Janeiro. By partnering with Jaunt, Flapper aims to bring a new form of urban travel with safety and operational efficiency as the top priority.
The deployment of Jaunt Journey aircraft into the Flapper network is subject to the parties entering into definitive final agreements.
Simon Briceno, Chief Commercial Officer for Jaunt, said: “We are pleased to partner with Flapper to introduce a new form of urban travel in Latin American cities. Their reputation and experience in the on-demand charter service are well-known, and they have a real understanding of the growth opportunity of our zero-emission vehicles.”
Jaunt Air Mobility is designing and manufacturing an eVTOL aircraft based on proven Slowed Rotor Technology. Known as the Jaunt Journey, the company has described it as the world’s first aircraft combining helicopter and fixed-wing flight capabilities, highlighting low noise, comfort, safety, and operational efficiencies. It says it is one of the only eVTOL OEMs aligned with current transport category certification rules.
In October 2021, Jaunt Air Mobility entered into a merger agreement with AIRO Group which will bring together decades of industry-leading technology with its group companies to provide best-in-class products and services uniquely capable of addressing a wide spectrum of aerospace markets.
AIRO Group leverages technologies that span data systems, resupply package delivery, military aerospace training, military, and commercial manned/unmanned aircraft systems, and avionics technologies.
Martin Peryea, CEO/CTO of Jaunt Air Mobility, added: “The Jaunt Journey has significant design features that allow it to fly in a variety of weather conditions. A single main rotor is the most efficient form of takeoff and landing and has proven capabilities in gusty wind conditions such as coastlines. The aircraft offers a higher level of safety than today’s helicopters.”
Launched in 2016, Flapper is the first on-demand private aviation company in Latin America. The company commercialised scheduled flights in Brazil and has more than 900 safety-vetted charter aircraft on its regional marketplace platform.
Flapper reports more than 290,000 users of its mobile app and is both ARGUS- and Wyvern-certified. Clients can choose from more than 80 different types of jets, turbo-props, and helicopters and can get an instant price estimate.
Paul Malicki, CEO of Flapper, said: “After a thorough examination of the existing urban air mobility architectures, we found Jaunt’s fixed-wing and slowed rotor design to be one of the most efficient and safest aircraft ever projected. Jaunt Journey’s technology boasts performance similar to fixed-wing design, which is perfect, considering the region’s short runways, rocky shores and high-altitude airports.”