But the technology is here and we are going to lead commercialisation of it with zero-emission credentials'. 'I think it is going to take a lot of different forms over time. 'We could partner with airlines, we could establish our own entities in different jurisdictions around the world, we could partner with helicopter operators,' Slattery said. Slattery said Avolon had not decided how to deploy the air taxis, whose relatively short product development cycles mark a shift for leasing companies used to long-term jet investments. They will join an owned or managed fleet of 568 passenger aircraft all the way up to the 396-seat Boeing 777-300ER. 9,130 crores) and 190 options worth $750 million (roughly Rs. 'You have got to think that you have these machines that can disintermediate the legacy helicopters through just being 100 times quieter and no emissions,' Slattery said.Īvolon has placed a firm order for 310 eVTOLs worth $1.25 billion (roughly Rs. Helicopter travel could also be squeezed. Planemakers have themselves invested in such projects. 'The challenge for incumbent (planemakers) is if the range can extend to 400-500 miles, what is the implication for traditional narrowbodies?' he said in a Reuters interview.Īsked if the vehicles for four passengers and a pilot could take business from much larger commercial planes, Slattery said, 'Eventually, yes of course. Air Taxi Startup Lilium Stages Test 'Hover' of 5-Seater Prototype.
