FlyBlade India and Eve partner with order for 200 eVTOLs

FlyBlade India has placed a “non-binding” order for up to 200 eVTOLs with Eve Air Mobility as the two companies partner to introduce UAM to the region.

As part of the deal, FlyBlade, a joint venture between Hunch Ventures and Blade Air Mobility, will also get access to Eve’s Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) software as well as service and support. The two also plan to collaborate on a three-month pilot project connecting passengers using helicopters.

Amit Dutta, managing director, Blade India said: “India’s traffic congestion woes are only expected to get worse. This partnership allows us to leverage Eve’s deep expertise in not just EVA design but also in the infrastructure required to support UAM.”

According to FlyBlade, India is a unique market with its vast expanse, accessibility concerns, traffic congestion and regulations. Blade India will act as Eve’s on-ground knowledge partner to establish a UAM ecosystem. The data collected through Blade India’s operations will be used to by Eve to further develop. Blade India will initially underwrite 50,000 hours of flight time per year using Eve’s eVTOL in the country.

André Stein, Eve’s co-CEO believes India has the potential to be one of the largest UAM markets globally. “This initial order will allow us to enter into service in India and further develop the ecosystem according to the community’s needs. We look forward to offering the people of India a zero-emission UAM solution in the future that will be quiet, efficient, and accessible,” he said.