Electra.aero, which recently introduced the EL-2 Goldfinch, a hybrid-electric, “ultra-short” takeoff and landing (eSTOL) demonstrator aircraft has received funding support from the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC).
The company says this milestone marks the entry of the Virginia-based company into the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry, which seeks to connect previously underserved markets with innovative aircraft powered by emerging technologies.
“Electra.aero is poised to deliver transformative societal and economic benefits associated with AAM” the company says, “as highlighted in a recent study conducted by VIPC’s Unmanned Systems Centre.
“The VIPC Unmanned Systems Centre study, which was conducted with NEXA Advisors of McLean, highlights the immense potential of the AAM industry in Virginia. Over the next 23 years, AAM is projected to generate USD16 billion in new business activity and create more than 17,000 full-time jobs in the aerospace industry and beyond. By 2045, it is anticipated that over 7.7 million passengers annually, equivalent to more than 21,000 passengers per day, will travel in AAM aircraft within Virginia.
“To drive progress in this field, the VIPC Unmanned Systems Center and the Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV) formed the Virginia AAM Alliance (VAAMA) to foster collaboration among industry, academic, and government innovators and develop a comprehensive framework for advancing the AAM industry throughout the state.”
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(Image: Electra)