Page 5 - FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW 2024 - DAY 1 | DAILY NEWS

Supernal Sees Huge

Potential for AAM in the Asia-Pacific

and operates quietly, meeting community flights with Supernal vehicles in 2028,” said
noise standards. Rottblatt.

Engineered to achieve the global commer- For AAM to truly take off, several key factors
cial aviation standard of safety, S-A2 has need to be addressed, believes Rottblatt.
a robust airframe structure with redundant “Continued advancements in battery tech-
components in critical systems such as the nology, air traffic management systems and
powertrain, flight controls and avionics. “We infrastructure development are essential, for
are working with commercial and executive example. Collaboration between public and
fleet operators to ensure our aircraft will private sectors will be crucial in establishing
meet their needs,” said Rottblatt. consistent policies and standards across
regions. Public acceptance is also vital,
As part of its plan to advance AAM in which can be fostered through demonstrat-
the Asia Pacific region, the company is ed safety, reliability and the convenience of
partnering with the Singapore Economic AAM solutions.”
Development Board (EDB) and the Civil
Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Some of Supernal’s competitors in the AAM
David Rottblatt, Senior Director of Strategy besides Korean Air. Korean Air will also sector are expected to start commercial
& Commercialization, Supernal, expects collaborate with Supernal to help develop operations before it. “We hope other AAM
advanced air mobility (AAM) to take off in eVTOL aircraft that are compatible with the companies are successful for the sake of
a big way in the Asia Pacific region. Korean UAM operational environment and the wider market,” said Rottblatt. “It will take
market. “Supernal’s approach is to develop time for AAM to meet the projected demand,
“Supernal sees tremendous potential as an
OEM in the Asia-Pacific market, thanks in mutually beneficial partnerships to create which is why Supernal is prioritizing time to
part to strong and stable national govern- a viable business and operational case for scale’ over ‘time to market.’ We understand
ments with whom we have partnered that stakeholders across the value chain – from there is much work to be done before the
can streamline adoption of new transpor- manufacturers and regulators to operators world is ready for AAM operations and are
tation modalities, such as the scaling up and passengers,” Rottblatt said. committed to doing whatever it takes to
of AAM,” he said in an interview with Arun Supernal plans to launch its full-scale tech- make this much-needed mode of transpor-
Sivasankaran. “Additionally, if you consider nology demonstrator later this year. In 2026- tation a reality.
the global landscape for existing letters 2027, the company will conduct extensive As an OEM, we prioritize “time to scale”
of intent that have been signed for eVTOL prototype flight testing to validate perfor- over “time to market,” leveraging Hyundai
aircraft, a significant percentage comes mance, safety and reliability under various Motor Group’s advanced processes and
from the APAC market which presents a conditions. “We expect to develop and fly collaborating with aerospace leaders to
directional indicator that the region is poised the first conforming aircraft in 2027 to meet reduce production costs and time, ensuring
to benefit significantly from this technology.” all regulatory and design specifications pri- AAM is built to the highest standards for

or to our operators beginning commercial broad adoption.”
Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group’s AAM
company, unveiled S-A2, its electric ver-
tical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle
product concept in January this year. The
company is planning to launch a full-scale
technology demonstrator later this year.
Commercial flights with Supernal vehicles
will commence in 2028. “Supernal is prior-
itizing ‘time to scale’ over ‘time to market,”’
Rottblatt added.

S-A2 is designed to cruise at 120 mph at
altitudes between 1,000-1,500 feet AGL, with
a range of up to 60 miles. It features modu-
lar battery components for future upgrades
and a human-centric interior developed in
collaboration with Hyundai Motor Group’s
automotive designers. The aircraft utilizes a
distributed electric propulsion architecture

FARNBOROUGH INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW 2024 JULY-22-2024 5