Eve Air Mobility, a spin-out of Embraer, has entered into a partnership with Yugo Global Industries, an aviation company based in Singapore, to explore the possibilities of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations in Southeast Asia. Yugo Global Industries, supported by established jet and rotorcraft operators like PhilJets and Helistar, was established to foster innovation in air mobility within the region.
Under a memorandum of understanding, both parties will collaborate on addressing the infrastructure and regulatory needs essential for facilitating operations of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Furthermore, they will assess the dimensions and capabilities of service centers and vertiports, as well as ground handling and related aspects.
"We are looking forward to collaboratively working with Yugo to study and help define the UAM ecosystem in Singapore and Southeast Asia", says Johann Bordais, chief executive of Eve. "Our goal is to also understand and define a business model that not only enables eVTOL flights in the region, but also advances the overall mobility ecosystem".
"We strongly believe that Southeast Asian economies will greatly contribute to the development of the eVTOL and UAM industry", adds Thierry Tea, chairman of Yugo. Eve anticipates conducting the maiden flight of its initial prototype in 2024, aiming for operational service commencement by 2026. Equipped with eight lifting rotors and a pusher propeller for cruising, the aircraft purportedly offers a range of 32 nautical miles (approximately 100 kilometers) and a cruising speed of 100 knots (about 185 kilometers per hour).