Private helicopter charter company Halo has ordered 200 eVTOL aircraft from Eve, a subsidiary of Brazilian firm Embraer, to be delivered in 2026.
The order is one of the largest to date made for commercial eVTOL aircraft and follows the founding of Halo by combining two existing charter helicopter operators, UK-based Halo and the USA-based Associated Aircraft Group (AAG). One hundred of the vehicles will be used for operations in the USA and 100 will operate in the UK.
Eve was spun out of the EmbraerX incubator last October to further develop its eVTOL aircraft as a subsidiary of the Brazilian-aircraft manufacturer. Halo and AAG were purchased by business aviation group Directional Aviation earlier this year and will first operate a charter fleet of Agusta / Leonardo AW109 and AW169 helicopters until the eVTOLs are introduced.
The four-passenger Eve is said to have a planned 60 mile (100km) range with Embraer claiming it will be 80% quieter than current helicopters.
Engineers conducted the first flight with an Eve engineering simulator last July and revealed a number of concept drawings for the eVTOL in October. Eve is also working with Atech, another subsidiary of Embraer, to develop an urban air traffic management system.
Kenneth Ricci, principal of Directional Aviation said, “Bringing together two companies, which are leading providers of vertical lift and urban mobility services in two of the most important markets, will create a phenomenal vertical mobility platform
“In placing this order for a revolutionary breakthrough in urban air mobility, we are advancing toward safe, efficient and sustainable travel in and between our cities. eVTOL urban air mobility is the greatest opportunity, and the greatest challenge, I have seen in my 40 years in aviation, and Eve is positioned to make it a reality.”
“We believe Eve has designed an aircraft that not only is well-prepared for initial certification but also has a proven track record of production. The outstanding lineage of aircraft design, certification and production that Embraer brings to this aircraft positions Eve with significant advantages in the competitive landscape.
“Our background as operators has taught us that product support is absolutely vital to the overall success of new programs. The relationship between Embraer and Eve will create one of the most successful global product support infrastructures in the industry. Finally, the work that Eve and Embraer have completed around their traffic management system is just one more example of how uniquely positioned Eve is to help us deliver on our vision.”
Halo will also provide charter services for world-traveling clients of sister companies in the Directional Aviation family of brands: Flexjet, Sentient Jet, PrivateFly and FXAIR.
Andre Stein, president and CEO of Eve said, “This partnership is an important step for Eve to assume its position as a global leader in the UAM industry. We are ready to build the future of mobility with our partners in an extremely collaborative way.
