Embraer’s Eve to Partner with Kenya Airways

Embraer’s Eve program has signed an agreement with Kenya Airways, the country’s flag carrier, to develop an urban air mobility strategy that will serve key markets in East Africa and provide an accessible and affordable transportation option.

This collaboration with Fahari Aviation, announced Wednesday, aims to develop operational models for the wide accessibility of urban air mobility (UAM). It will also work to outline procedures to safely scale electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Embraer said in a statement.

“We are thrilled to partner with Kenya Airways to provide new forms of air mobility throughout the region for both people and goods,” said Andre Stein, president and CEO of Eve. “The creation of disruptive and widely accessible urban air mobility solutions will help democratize mobility by making it more accessible, affordable and giving communities more options.”

“Partnerships are vital in mapping out the future of our airline, something which the global crisis has reinforced,” said Allan Kilavuka, group managing director and CEO of Kenya Airways. “Innovation is a critical element of our long-term sustainability. … With this partnership, we look to develop innovative air mobility solutions for our clients in Kenya and throughout the region.”

Eve is Embraer’s foray into the world of eVTOL, with a crewed (“human-centered”), electric-powered aircraft aimed at producing zero emissions and a low-noise footprint. The first flight of the Eve eVTOL within the engineering simulator took place in Brazil at the EmbraerX facility in June 2020, and full-scale aircraft flights are planned for later in 2021. Halo, an investment-fund-backed UAM start-up, is the launch customer for Eve, with 200 units on order with a delivery timeline projected to begin in 2026.