Embraer’s urban air mobility business Eve has partnered Australian helicopter operator Microflite to roll out electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations in the country, which it expects to start in 2026.
Microflite and Eve will use helicopters at the initial stages of the partnership, as a proof of concept to ‘validate parameters’ applicable to eVTOL aircraft operations in the future.
Eve has partnered Microflite to roll out electric air taxi services in Australia.
“This partnership also aims to develop new services and procedures that will create a safe and scalable operating environment for electric vertical aircraft operations together with communities and other industry stakeholders,” says Eve.
The partnership builds on a 2019 Concept of Operations developed by Eve and Airservices Australia, which saw Microflite play a contributory role. The city of Melbourne, in Australia’s Victoria state, has been earmarked as the testbed for electric air taxi services.
Says Eve president and chief executive Andre Stein: “Our partnership with Microflite allows Eve to inject innovation and new mobility solutions within the Australian market. We can deliver a comprehensive solution, including maintenance services and air traffic management, getting ready to introduce our aircraft to Australia, while benefiting from Microflite’s extensive local operational experience.”
Microflite chief Jonathan Booth adds: “This partnership is an exciting development for Microflite. Australia needs a post-Covid lift and what better way to do that than by developing high-tech and low carbon jobs that support transport, tourism and the vibrancy of this wonderful country.”
The news comes more than a week after Eve announced intentions to operate up to 100 electric air taxis in the Asia-Pacific region via a partnership with Ascent Flights Global. It said in late-August that it intends to provide up to 100,000h of annual air taxi flights starting in 2026, in ‘key cities’ such as Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Tokyo and Melbourne.