EMBRAER: Eve partners with New York-based BLADE to supply electric UAM vehicles

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions, a subsidiary of Brazil’s EMBRAER, has reached an agreement with BLADE, the first publicly traded urban air mobility (UAM) company,  to provide up to 60,000 flight hours per year in its electric vehicles for vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), also known in the market by the acronym in English EVA (Electrical Vertical Aircraft), for use in major markets in Florida and the West Coast markets beginning in 2026.

Eve plans to make available, along with its local partners, up to 60 aircraft for Blade’s use throughout the U.S. starting in 2026. BLADE will pay per flight hours used on Eve’s aircraft, supplied by the company and third parties. The availability of Eve’s aircraft across Blade’s network is subject to definitive agreements to be entered into by the companies.

Eve partnerships multiply

In June alone, Eve announced several partnerships and orders. The company announced a partnership with helicopter air taxi company Halo for product and service development in the U.S. and UK. The partnership includes an order for 200 eVTOL units.

Eve also received an order for 50 aircraft from Helisul Aviation, a major helicopter operator in Latin America, for delivery through 2026.

The EMBRAER subsidiary also announced an agreement with Singapore-based startup Ascent, which is focused on accelerating the development of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific region. Ascent has a database of partner airlines for dedicated UAM services in Thailand and the Philippines, which would help Eve enter the region.

Earlier this week, Embraer announced that Eve had signed a partnership with Skyports, an operator of so-called “vertiports,” to develop solutions for initial UAM operations in Asia and the Americas. The companies will use Eve’s eVTOLs and urban air traffic management (UATM) software and urban air mobility services.

In addition, EMBRAER also confirmed earlier this month that it is in negotiations with the Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), American Zanite Acquisition, for a possible merger of its subsidiary Eve, dedicated to the development of a system of urban air mobility. Once completed, the combined company could be worth up to US$ 2 billion.

BLADE

BLADE Urban Air Mobility, Inc. is an UAM platform based in New York City. It allows users of its app to book seats on scheduled flights throughout the Northeast and West Coast of the United States and also arrange private charter flights.

No company flies more people in and out of city centers than BLADE. Currently, the company uses mostly helicopters and amphibious aircraft.

BLADE was launched on Memorial Day (May 26) of 2014, with service between Manhattan, Southampton, East Hampton, and Montauk. On May 7, 2021, BLADE became the first publicly traded urban air mobility company.

In December 2015, BLADE expanded its offerings and launched BLADEone, a seasonal by-the-seat jet service between Manhattan and Miami or Manhattan and Aspen. Utilizing a Gulfstream IV jet, the inaugural flight to Miami took place on December 3 in conjunction with Art Basel.

In November 2016, BLADE announced their second season of BLADEone, utilizing a Bombardier CRJ 200 commercial airline jet typically configured for 65 passengers, but retrofitted for 16.

BLADEone service is also available between Manhattan and Aspen, the only direct service between those two locations. A 14-passenger Gulfstream G400 operates this flight.

Passengers must download the BLADE app to their iOS or Android device, sign up for an account, and enter additional information such as a valid phone number and credit card details. When a passenger wants to fly, they open the app and select an existing flight to join at a time that works for them.

If no times work for the passenger, they can crowdsource their own flight at a more convenient time; any remaining seats on a crowdsourced flight may then be sold to other flyers through the digital community Blade provides in-app.

With information from monitor/valor.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error

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