Page 25 - SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 2024 - INSIGHT

business line than the aircraft. In
the 5–10-year period, both busi-
ness lines will progress at the same
pace. We can have the aircraft
rolled out in 2027. We are develop-
ing the propulsion system now and
it will be on our aircraft in 2027.

The Better Option?
A hybrid-electric propulsion system
has many advantages over purely
electric flight, says Baldivia. “In
terms of performance, there is
no comparison. For customers, it
is also about productivity. Unlike
an eVTOL, we do not need to
recharge aircraft on the ground for
an hour. On a one-hundred-mile
trip, eVTOLs can do seven rota-
tions a day; we can do more than
12. The propulsion system takes us
to places our competition cannot
go, such as longer distances and
remote areas.”

The company, which has tested
seven prototypes, will start flight
Lambert, Ascendance Chief be used with Sterna today,” says tests of the Atea with a pilot on
Executive Officer. “Sterna is scal- Lambert. “The first objective is to board, this year. Certification is
able in terms of size; if the drone reduce energy consumption. In the first expected from the European
is smaller, we can downscale it. future, we want to be able to switch Union Aviation Safety Agency
We can also have the technology to hydrogen (burned or in fuel cells). (EASA). “When it came to regula-
on bigger aircraft that are used for The idea is to be technology-ready tions, there were two very different
regional aviation. We believe that not just for today but for the future staring points for EASA and FAA,”
the certification of the propulsion as well.” says Baldivia. “EASA had a clear
system can happen earlier than set of rules while FAA adopted a
Atea; it depends on which aircraft “We have made a lot of progress in case-by-case approach. There is
it is installed on. Downscaled, it the last five years,” says Thibault convergence happening now. It is
can happen much earlier. We are Baldivia, Chief Commercial Officer. easier for us to get Atea certified
focused on both Atea and Sterna; “Our vision is to make an impact on in Europe because we know the
they are dependent on each other.” aviation, to decarbonize aviation. rules of the game. But the market
It is a two-fold plan. We are work- will be larger in the United States
The company is targeting the heli- ing on both Atea and Sterna at the and Southeast Aasia. I think the first
copter market with Atea. Compared same time. Atea is ideal for regional deployments will be in the U.S. or in
to traditional helicopters, the air mobility (RAM). With Sterna, we Southeast Asia.
hybrid-eVTOL can reduce carbon are developing a propulsion system
emissions by up to 80%. It is also a for aircraft that has a capacity of Lambert expects hybrid electric pro-
lot quieter than helicopters. As the more than 10 passengers. The pulsion systems to be more popular
letters of intent (LOI) for the aircraft system can also be used on 6–10- than electric propulsion systems in
pile up, the company is involved seater range aircraft.” the long run. “We are starting to see
in discussions with aircraft OEMs it now,” he says. “When we founded
about the potential use of Sterna. Baldivia expects both products the company, 99 per cent of the
to do well in the market. “Ten to projects were fully electric. But the
“Both conventional jet fuel and twenty years from now, I think the industry is moving toward hybrid
sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can propulsion system will be a bigger electric propulsion systems now.”.

WWW.GBP.COM.SG SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 2024 INSIGHT ∙ FEBRUARY 2024 25