Urban Movement Labs Partners with Overair on Los Angeles eVTOL Infrastructure
Urban Movement Labs (UML) has announced a new partnership with eVTOL company Overair to bring urban air mobility (UAM) to the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, which will focus on implementing safe, equitable, convenient, and sustainable UAM.
Overair will work with UML and the UAM Partnership to explore operational and infrastructure development, and will help study the noise impacts of eVTOL vehicles to plan workforce and economic UAM development opportunities.
Overair aims to position its Butterfly eVTOL vehicle, which will carry five passengers and a pilot or 1100 pounds of cargo, and will travel distances of approximately 100 miles at speeds up to 200 mph.
Based in Orange County, California, Overair plans to initiate commercial operations in 2026.
Overair CEO and Co-Founder Ben Tigner said: “The Los Angeles metropolitan area can benefit from advanced air mobility given the increased daily travel times in Southern California.
“Working with UML, we are on the path to providing reliable, affordable, equitable, and sustainable transportation options to Los Angeles and surrounding areas.”
UML Executive Director Sam Morrissey added: “We are proud to partner with Overair and the UAM Partnership on opportunities to engage the communities of Los Angeles on future UAM operations.
“As a local Southern California company, Overair shares with us the values of planning a safe, equitable, and sustainable UAM future, which will allow UML to further advance the goals of the UAM Partnership.”
Overair and UML will discuss creating infrastructure in the Los Angeles area in conjunction with other companies within the partnership.
In January, Overair began a full-scale propulsion system test programme for its Butterfly eVTOL aircraft, whose vectored thrust design and optimum speed propellers allow it to fly safely in adverse weather conditions with higher payloads.
Last week, Skyroads announced a partnership with UML to deploy tech-enabled mobility in Los Angeles, which invests over $13 billion a year on transportation projects alone, and is working on 28 transportation mega-projects for the 2028 Olympics, such as the Purple Line Subway Extension and the LA River Bike Path.