A partnership focusing on accelerating the development of the Urban Air Mobility ecosystem in Asia-Pacific markets has been announced by Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions, Inc. (Eve) and Ascent. This partnership will advance the entry of Eve’s electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) aircraft into Ascent’s growing technology platform that allows users to book charter flights as well as flights by the seat and orchestrate UAM operations seamlessly.
The progressive entry of Eve’s eVTOLs throughout the region will enable dedicated air taxi, cargo, and air medical services. Ascent currently includes a database of air operator partners that are dedicated to UAM operations, throughout Thailand and the Philippines, and is set to expand its presence in the region. Additionally, the parties expect that Eve´s Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) services will be fully integrated into Ascent technology to ensure secure and scalable operations.
Eve is a new, independent company dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Benefitting from a startup mindset, backed by Embraer’s more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise, and with a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem, with an advanced electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) project, comprehensive global services and support network, and a unique air traffic management solution. Eve is the first company to graduate from EmbraerX.
“This partnership with Eve is a leap forward for Ascent toward achieving our ambition to democratize sustainable urban air mobility. Joining forces with Eve, and by extension counting with the active support from the Embraer Group, will enable us to accelerate our development for a larger impact, secure the entry of market-fit all-electric aircraft, and provide safe and secure operations at scale thanks to urban air traffic management integration,” according to Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff, Founder & CEO of Ascent.
Ascent is a Singapore-based start-up powering Air Mobility in Asia. Technology and experience-driven, Ascent is an Air Mobility holistic integrator, that entrenches ecosystems and runs operations such as air taxi, touristic, cargo, and medical services, within urban areas and across regions. Ascent ambitions to democratize Air Mobility, as a convenient, reliable, and sustainable mode of mobility that addresses congestion, connectivity, environmental sustainability, and health issues generated by rapid urbanization and the pandemic. Ascent is operational in the Philippines, and in Thailand. Awaiting for eVTOLs, Ascent makes use of helicopters and planes today.
“We are pleased to announce this partnership with Ascent as it aligns with our strategy to develop the urban air mobility ecosystem through collaborative efforts and to be a truly global player. Armed with Ascent’s data and platform, we will be well-positioned to enter into the Asia Pacific market. On our end, we are committed to supporting Ascent’s growth and its ambition to democratize air mobility,” said Andre Stein, President & CEO of Eve Urban Air Mobility.
A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive Aviation, Defense & Security, and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures, and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales.
With the new partnership, the companies will establish a proof of concept to demonstrate the extent of Ascent’s platform and market penetration while offering increased accessibility to a broader segment of the Asia Pacific region. Ascent will then facilitate the entry into the market of Eve dedicated solutions.
Benefitting from a startup mindset and backed by Embraer’s more than 50-year history of aircraft manufacturing and certification expertise, Eve unveils a unique value proposition by positioning itself as an ecosystem partner by offering a suite of products and services. Eve’s human-centered, eVTOL design represents a simple and intuitive design that continues to reach development milestones, including the first flight of the engineering simulator in July 2020 and proof of concept in October 2020. In addition to the aircraft program, Eve is harnessing the expertise of both Embraer and Atech, a subsidiary of the Embraer Group, in providing globally recognized air traffic management software to create the solutions that will help safely scale the UAM industry going forward.