On April 27, 2022, Airbus announced the signing of a partnership with the Italian airline ITA Airways. The objective of this merger is to reflect on the creation of an urban air mobility service using electric unmanned vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, while identifying strategic use cases where these devices could be operated.
A partnership putting the customer at the center of urban air mobility
Founded in 2021, ITA Airways immediately marked time by announcing its interest in urban air mobility and the decarbonization of air transport. By approaching Airbus, the firm once again showed its interest: ” With this agreement, our partnership extends to the urban air mobility segment for a broader, customer-centric, innovative and sustainable offer for our customers. », specifies Alfredo Altavilla, president of ITA Airways.
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For Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, “ This agreement […] is an opportunity to leverage our shared ambition – to be a pioneer in sustainable aerospace – and advance new air mobility solutions for zero-emissions vertical flight to benefit our cities and communities during this decade “. Since 2017, Airbus has been actively working on several prototype flying taxis. Vahana is its first creation of its kind before in September 2021, the company presents its second aircraft: the eVTOL CityAirbus NextGen.
Vahana demonstration in 2017. Photography: Airbus.
How will this partnership between Airbus and ITA Airways work out?
With the contribution of Airbus, urban air mobility services will be developed around the CityAirbus NextGen, with eight electric thrusters and a fixed car. It can carry up to four passengers, including a pilot, can fly a distance of approximately 80 kilometers in one go, while reaching a top speed of 120 km/h. If for the moment, this flying vehicle is in the test phase, its first official flight is scheduled for 2023.
This partnership is also an opportunity to show local mobility players that Airbus and ITA Airways are ready to embark on a project of this scale. With their help, they will have to identify concrete use cases and promote the acceptability of the project to the general public, who may be reluctant to see eVTOL arriving in the skies of their cities. The Airbus eVTOL could for example be used for emergency services, for the transfer of passengers from an airport to the city center, etc.
In October 2021, Nice airport, together with several Italian airports, announced their ambition to launch their urban air mobility service with eVTOLs. If at the base, Airbus had announced its desire to launch its flying taxis for the Paris Olympics with the aim of connecting Paris – Charles de Gaulle airport to the capital, the RATP, the ADP and Choose Paris (partners of Airbus in this project), have revised their ambitions by proposing to carry out demonstrations of VTOL and eVTOL on the occasion of this event.
For the European Aviation Safety Agency, the commercial use of flying taxis should begin at the end of 2025 at the latest.