VONAER, an urban air mobility service platform based in South Korea, on the 27 February formalised a strategic partnership with Autoflight to integrate eVTOL aircraft into its platform.
“This partnership comes on the heels of a successful public demonstration showcasing Autoflight’s eVTOL capabilities” according to a press release. “Notably, during the demonstration, two eVTOL aircraft executed formation flights under remote control, traversing a 55km stretch over the Hong Kong-Macao strait in just 20 minutes while maintaining a 150m altitude. The noise level was, approximately 65dB, similar to typical urban ambient noise.
“VONAER is poised to procure 20 Autoflight eVTOL aircraft, targeting the Asian market and exploring options for Korea’s domestic deployment. The objective is to seamlessly integrate the VONAER platform for urban air mobility services, both locally and internationally.
“Before the certified eVTOL introduction, VONAER plans to establish an air taxi service MaaS platform utilising helicopters, with the intention of transitioning to eVTOL aircraft once the UAM service environment is established.
“Once legal frameworks allowing eVTOL operations are in place globally, VONAER aims to deploy its platform worldwide, providing UAM services with verified eVTOL aircraft.
“Autoflight, headquartered in Germany and China. The company’s eVTOL aircraft, “Prosperity 1,” can accommodate four passengers with one safety pilot and travel at a maximum speed of 200 km/h, covering a range of 250km on a single charge.
“Autoflight also possesses a production line capable of producing various purpose eVTOLs, including passenger and cargo transportation, with facilities in Shanghai capable of producing up to 1,000 aircraft annually. Autoflight plans to commence commercialisation following approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for cargo transportation eVTOLs in the first half of this year.
“Kellen Xie, Vice President of Autoflight, expressed optimism about rapid commercialisation in Korea, recognising the country’s proactive stance in UAM industry development. The collaboration with VONAER is seen as a strategic move to pave the way for Autoflight’s entry into the Korean market.”
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(Image: Autoflight)