Plana and SkyScape to develop Asia’s first international eVTOL route
SkyScape and Plana have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) develop Asia’s first eVTOL route between Korea and Japan.
The agreement will see the two companies work together to build the infrastructure necessary for a first international route in Asia. Plana’s hybrid aircraft has an operation range of up to 500km, plus reserves, opening new potential serviceable routes and access to previously unreachable locations compared to other eVTOL models, said the OEM.
Asa Quesenberry (pictured right), SkyScape, founder, said: “We couldn’t be happier to begin this type of work with another industry leader here in the APAC market. The Plana team have made tremendous progress as of late, have a truly impressive aircraft and share many of our same beliefs related to leveraging AAM to create positive impact within our communities and regions. We’re lucky to be able to say that the region of focus is large enough to benefit citizens from two countries, not just one.”
Japanese vertiport development and management company, SkyScape has designed a multi-use vertiport infrastructure. The result, according to the firm, is a facility that not only supports passenger operations and aircraft upkeep “but also stronger community resiliency as well as improved returns for facility operators”.
The teams will begin with a Concept of Operations (ConOps) study, detailing operations between the two countries and the potential impact the route would have on communities within the target area. The two companies will be looking at bringing in various stakeholders from both countries to contribute to the work.
Minyoung Ahn (pictured left), CSO and co-founder of PLANA, said: “We are glad to sign an MoU with SkyScape, which is enthusiastically creating an AAM ecosystem in the APAC region. Through this partnership, we believe PLANA and SkyScape will be able to co-develop a highly accessible aerial transportation network in Asia and realise it together for the benefit of the region.”
Quesenberry added: “As we move into a future empowered by AAM, we are excited to work directly with the Plana team to create a truly unique experience between these two countries. One that fosters closer ties and provides real value for the communities involved.”
Work is set to begin on bringing in stakeholders in the early spring months with the ConOps study beginning shortly after.
