LONDON - Eve Air Mobility in Melbourne, Florida, announced a milestone with its collaborative partnership with global private company Flexjet, which is based in Richmond Heights, Ohio. The companies have conducted an initial software simulation of Eve’s urban air traffic management (urban ATM) solution for urban air mobility (UAM). The initiative validated and refined the software through user testing and feedback on its interface and industry value.
The simulation took place over four days this month at Flexjet’s Tactical Control Center at Farnborough Airport, UK, and saw Eve’s urban ATM software shadowing live helicopter flights operated by Flexjet’s UK helicopter division, performing the kind of services that will be essential to enabling future UAM operations. Flexjet operates a fleet of 11 helicopters in the UK and its group of companies is one of Eve’s Urban ATM Fleet Operator customers.
Flexjet provided its helicopter fleet to perform flights, collaborating closely with Eve’s Urban ATM team. NATS, a leading provider of air traffic control services, and London Heliport supported the initiative by providing additional feedback to help ensure Eve’s solution will provide the greatest value to all UAM ecosystem participants.
The initiative encompassed various aspects of operations, including regular business operations, atypical scenarios and flights tailored to an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft’s specific needs, enabling the demonstration of product behavior in various real-world scenarios. The integration of vertiports to efficiently manage resources was the primary focus of the test, in addition to verifying and validating a subset of the Urban ATM product capabilities, with a specific emphasis on the UAM fleet operator support tool.
Eve’s objective with this collaboration was to provide insights into the services required to support future eVTOL operations safely and efficiently. Another aim was to investigate whether these new services may have immediate value for existing helicopter operations. Following the simulation, Eve and Flexjet will review the findings and discuss recommendations for improvements, changes, and potential integration requirements. The companies will also continue to explore opportunities for further integration of existing software tools, enhancing the potential of the Urban ATM solution.
“This collaboration with Flexjet represents a significant step forward in our efforts to advance urban air mobility,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. “We are committed to exploring innovative solutions that will enhance current operations and contribute to the future of urban flights.”
