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eVTOL
Australian helicopter operators partner with Eve for eVTOL
February 16, 2022 By Helicopters Staff
Eve UAM LLC signed a series of eVTOL based partnerships during the biennial Singapore Airshow, running from Feb. 15 to 18. The Embraer backed company first announced a deal with Aviair and HeliSpirit, part of the HM Consolidated group, that includes an optional order for up to 50 eVTOL aircraft.
This first new partnership projects flights would begin from 2026 by Aviair or HeliSpirit, operators that serve some of Western Australia’s most iconic tourist attractions in the Kimberley, South-West, and Greater Perth regions. The new partnership will add eVTOLs to the company’s existing fleet of over 50 rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft and introduce Eve’s zero-emission aircraft into service in these locations.
“This year marks 20 years of HeliSpirit being eco-accredited as a green travel leader, entering us into the Eco Tourism Australia Hall of Fame, so this is great timing to commit to significantly reducing our carbon footprint by operating zero-emission electric aircraft,” said Michael McConachy, Managing Director, Aviair and HeliSpirit. “The low-noise footprint of the aircraft makes them particularly well-suited to operations in sensitive natural settings, including national parks and World Heritage-listed areas, as well as for urban transfers providing quick and efficient solutions for both business and tourism travellers.”
Within the same day, Eve then announced a partnership with Microflite, another Australian helicopter operator, which included an optional order of up to 40 low-noise, zero-emission eVTOLs. This partnership also projects to begin operations in Australia in 2026.
Microflite and Eve plan to begin their partnership using helicopters as a proof of concept to validate parameters that will apply to future eVTOL operations. This partnership also aims to develop new services and procedures that will create a safe and scalable operating environment for eVTOL operations.
“After working closely with Eve over the past few months, we have identified a network of potential routes and we look forward to working with commercial partners and communities to prioritise these routes and trial selected operations with our existing fleet,” said Jonathan Booth, CEO of Microflite.
