United Airlines has invested $15 million in Eve Air Mobility, and has signed a provisional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat electric aircraft, plus 200 options. The carrier expects to take their first deliveries of the eVTOL flying taxis as early as 2026.
On Thursday (September 8, 2022), United Airlines announced that they have made a $15 million investment in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer Eve Air Mobility. The carrier also signed a provisional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat electric aircraft plus 200 options, with the first deliveries expected as early as 2026. Today’s announcement marks another significant investment by United in flying taxis, which the airline believes have the potential to revolutionize the commuter experience worldwide. Under the agreement, United and Eve will also collaborate on future projects, including studies on the development, use and application of Eve’s aircraft and the development of the urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem.
In Thursday’s announcment, United Airlines Ventures’ President, Michael Leskinen, said,
“United has made early investments in several cutting-edge technologies at all levels of the supply chain, staking out our position as a leader in aviation sustainability and innovation. Today, United is making history again, by becoming the first major airline to publicly invest in two eVTOL companies. Our agreement with Eve highlights our confidence in the urban air mobility market and serves as another important benchmark toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – without using traditional offsets. Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionize air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future.”
Also commenting on the investment and order, Eve Air Mobility’s co-CEO, Andre Stein, added,
“United’s investment in Eve reinforces the trust in our products and services and strengthens our position in the North American market. I am confident that our UAM agnostic solutions, coupled with the global know-how we have been developing at Eve and Embraer’s heritage, are the best fit for this initiative, giving United’s customers a quick, economical and sustainable way to get to its hub airports and commute in dense urban environments. It is an unparalleled opportunity to work with United to advance the US UAM ecosystem, and we look forward to it.”
United was the first U.S. airline to create a corporate venture fund, United Airlines Ventures (UAV), which has invested in eVTOL and electric aircraft, hydrogen fuel-cell engines and SAF. Last month, United gave a $10 million deposit to a California-based eVTOL company for 100 aircraft. United’s investment in Eve was driven by the carrier’s confidence in the UAM market, as well as Eve’s unique relationship with Embraer, an airframer 53 years of experience in building, certifying, delivering and servicing aircraft.
Eve’s eVTOL design uses conventional fixed wings, rotors and pushers, giving it a practical lift-plus-cruise capability. The aircraft is being designed with a range of 60 miles (100 km), and a 90 percent smaller noise footprint compared to current conventional aircraft. Additionally, Eve is designing an air traffic management (ATM) solution designed for the UAM industry to scale safely.
United Airlines’ shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” In 2019, United and United Express® carriers operated over 1.7 million flights carrying over 162 million guests. United Airlines operates the most comprehensive network among North American carriers with mainland U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Shares in the company’s parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., are publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol ‘UAL.’
Source: United Airlines / PRNewswire