The flying car future is closer than you think, thanks to a new deal that sees six commercial airlines commit to using Atea eVTOL aircraft!
Six airlines from different global regions have signed letters of intent to use the Atea eVTOL aircraft. They have pledged to purchase a total of 245 copies of this four-passenger vehicle from French aircraft developer Ascendance Flight Technologies.
An electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft like the Atea is a type of VTOL aircraft that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically. This specific model is projected to be able to fly up to 250 miles at speeds of up to 125 mph. The aircraft’s design includes eight ducted fan rotors installed on the two wings for vertical lift and two propellers for cruise flight.
According to Ascendance’s co-founder and chief customer officer Thibault Baldivia, eVTOL aircraft like the Atea will have much lower maintenance costs than contemporary helicopters, mostly from doing away with the need for a main gearbox and rotors. While no price has been shared yet, he indicated that the Atea will likely cost about as much as a similarly sized rotorcraft.
The six airline customers are air mobility platforms Evfly and Yugo from Singapore, HeliFirst and Jet Systems Helicoptères Services from France, Flyshare from California, and Philjets Group from the Philippines.
California-based Flyshare intends to use the Atea to operate regional services around the wider Los Angeles area. Meanwhile, Philjets is looking to use the Atea to operate a mix of private charters, sightseeing flights, and emergency medical evacuations across the Philippines.
SOURCE | IMAGES: FUTURE FLIGHT.
