Avolon, a Dublin-based aircraft leasing company, has agreed a deal with Brazil’s largest airline and leading transport operator to commercialise one of the world’s first ridesharing platforms for electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft (EVTOL).
Avolon, Gol and Grupo Comporte will collaborate to identify and target local partners, infrastructure and certification requirements across a range of commercial models, the company said.
The VA-X4, manufactured by Vertical Aerospace, will be the “most advanced and safest eVTOL in the market” on its introduction in 2024.
'The future of transport'
Avolon is a launch customer for the aircraft which can transport four passengers and one pilot distances of 100 miles at up to 200 miles per hour. Avoloan says “eVTOLs are central to the future of transport”.
They introduce the ultra-short-haul aircraft category to commercial aviation and will “revolutionise air travel with VA-X4 zero emissions aircraft”.
This announcement means Avolon already has commitments for over half of its order for 500 VA-X4 aircraft which was announced in June 2021.
Dómhnal Slattery, Avolon CEO, said: “Today’s announcement represents a significant step in building an eVTOL ride sharing platform that will reshape the commercial aviation market in Brazil. The opportunities to deploy the VA-X4 are enormous. Gol and Grupo Comporte both bring broad and diverse networks, along with proven track records in scaling multiple businesses, making them the ideal strategic partners for Avolon.
“This latest agreement underlines Avolon’s ability to fast track the commercialisation of the VA-X4 globally. In less than three months since becoming a launch partner for the aircraft, we have already placed over half of our initial aircraft order, demonstrating the significant appetite we are seeing from the world's airlines for the VA-X4.”
