DUBAI AIRSHOW 2023: Eve Air Mobility Announces Agreements with Hunch Mobility and NATS
Eve Air Mobility (Eve) has announced further agreements at the Dubai Airshow with Hunch Mobility (Hunch), a joint venture between Hunch Ventures and Blade Air Mobility. The other news is that Eve has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with NATS Services, reports two press releases.
First Hunch: Eve says the two companies are working together to bring electric commuter flights to Bangalore, India. The city will become the first in the region for urban air mobility (UAM) flights utilising eVTOL aircraft. Both companies will need to work alongside local, state and federal officials, infrastructure, energy and technology providers. “The goal is to ensure,” explains the release, “the appropriate infrastructure is in place to introduce eVTOL aircraft flights.”
Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve Air Mobility, commented, “This announcement is the next step in a great relationship that Hunch Mobility and Eve have built to co-create the UAM ecosystem in India. The country is an incredibly important market and our goal is to work with Hunch to provide residents with an additional efficient and affordable mode of transportation to ease commuting times in one of the most heavily populated cities in the world.”
Johann Bordais
Amit Dutta, Director of Hunch, added, “We look forward to introducing eVTOL flights that will democratise short haul air mobility by offering affordable ticket fares and zero carbon emission. This will address the bottleneck of road congestion India.”
Bangalore, located in Karnataka state of India, is one of the most populated cities in the world with an estimated population of more than 13 million people. Eve’s eVTOL with a range of 60 miles, will offer Hunch’s customers a rapid and economical way to avoid traffic congestion in one of the world’s most dense urban environments.
These eVTOL flights are expected to have a positive economic impact on the Bangalore community including new employment opportunities including positions ranging from pilots and aircraft service technicians to training and technical services. The development of the necessary infrastructure is also expected to create employment opportunities for the community.
Background
Eve was the first eVTOL manufacturer to announce a Letter of Intent (LOI) in India with Hunch Mobility announcing an agreement to purchase 200 eVTOLs, Services and the company’s Urban ATM (Air Traffic Management) solution.
As part of this previous LOI, the two companies have embarked on a three-month-long pilot project, conducting intra-city helicopter flights in Bangalore. The objective is to collect data on operations and customer experiences throughout the pilot project. This information is assisting further development of Eve’s eVTOL aircraft, its air traffic management solution, and solutions for service and support.
Meanwhile, Eve remains busy forming partnerships and its MOU with NATS, the commercial arm of the UK’s leading provider of air traffic control services, is a collaborative effort “supporting the development of future traffic management services for UAM operators around the world,” explains the release.
Bordais remarked, “Our first association with NATS began in early 2021 as part of the UK UAM Consortium with the UK CAA Regulatory Sandbox, developing a concept of operations for the London environment, including air traffic management arrangements and proposing new regulatory solutions.”
He continued, “Our work with NATS throughout the years both fortifies our newly established relationship and supports our forthcoming projects and future endeavors designed to transform the urban air mobility sector globally.”
The release explains, “The Eve-led UK Concept of Operations (CONOPS) was developed in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and various global companies, including NATS as well as six other members, which leveraged data to focus on necessary solutions for near-term UAM concerns for London. The UK CAA published the Phase 1 results of the Future Air Mobility Regulatory Sandbox in October 2021, highlighting eVTOL strengths and the challenges that will inform future developments in the UAM industry.”
Eve and NATS have also been part of the Future Flight Challenge via the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium with leading British aviation companies since July 2022.
The release continues, “Developed by UK Research and Innovation and delivered by Innovate UK, the program is UK Government funded and aims to accelerate the progress of new technologies and advanced aviation solutions while showcasing the societal benefits of aviation’s progress.”
Guy Adams, MD of NATS Services, said, “Going forward, we intend to grow our collaborative efforts to explore future traffic management products and solutions worldwide and enable the introduction and scaling of UAM across many countries in a consistent, high-performance and safe approach.”
Guy Adams
NATS provides aerodrome, data, engineering, capacity, efficiency and environmental performance solutions to customers worldwide, including airports, airlines, air traffic service providers and governments.
It is the UK’s principal air navigation services provider and is split into two main businesses that provide two distinct services:-
: NATS (En Route) plc (NERL) — the regulated business, which provides air traffic management services to aircraft within UK airspace and over the eastern part of the North Atlantic.
: NATS (Services) Ltd (NSL) — the unregulated business, which provides air traffic control services at many of the UK’s major airports (15 civil and 7 military airfields) and other airports overseas.
For more information
https://www.hunchventures.com/
(Top image: Eve Air Mobility)
