Page 13 - AAA March / April 2023 Latest Magazine | GBP

Urban Air Mobility

IT’S ALL COMING TOGETHER

launch commercial air taxi services in other
As clarity emerges on cities such as Singapore, Rome, and NEOM,

commercial launch dates of a special economic zone in Saudi Arabia.
While EHang is also targeting 2024, Archer
eVTOL manufacturers, agencies Aviation, Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility,
are making progress on regulating Joby Aviation and Lilium are eyeing 2025 for
commercial launch. Hyundai’s UAM subsidiary
advanced air mobility operations Supernal is willing to let other companies have
the early bird advantage and is planning a
 Arun Sivasankaran 2028 launch.

here is so much activity happening across regions in the Crowded Field
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector, particularly in the field
T of urban air mobility (UAM), that it is easy to forget that Volocopter, which is the first eVTOL company
flying cars belonged to the realm of science fiction, not so long ago. to receive Design Organisation Approval
(DOA) from the European Union Aviation
The countdown to the launch of UAM operations seems to have Safety Agency (EASA), has received permits
started. In February this year, China’s EHang announced that its to fly VoloCity in crewed or uncrewed config-
EH216 passenger-grade autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) had urations during test flights in cities such as
successfully completed an autonomous flight demonstration Hamburg, Dubai, Helsinki, and Singapore. In
carrying two passengers. The EH216 flew along the coastline of March this year, the company selected SITA,
Tanoura Beach in Oita city, the company said. The flight was the IT provider to the air transport industry, as
first-ever passenger-carrying flight for an autonomous eVTOL its preferred digital and IT systems partner
aircraft in Japan. EHang had in July 2022 used the EH216 for for vertiports that it intends to develop. The
the country’s inaugural eVTOL point-to-point demo flight for air following month, the company, which also has
mobility. VoloRegion and VoloDrone under develop-
Compared to even two years ago, there is a lot more clarity ment, opened two production facilities – a
among electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft develop- hangar and an airfield - in Bruchsal, Germany.
ers about their commercial launch dates. In France, Volocopter The facilities have the capacity and regulatory
is working with Paris Airports and the city’s public transporta- approval to assemble more than 50 VoloCity
tion authority (RATP) to make UAM operations with its VoloCity aircraft each year, but the company will not
electric air taxi a reality in 2024. The company also intends to begin mass production of the VoloCity until
ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE MARCH - APRIL 2023 | 13