Eve Air Mobility is looking to Dubai to be one of the early adopters of urban air mobility (UAM) operations. The eVTOL developer said it has signed a letter of intent with Falcon Aviation that will see the charter flight operator potentially purchase up to 35 of Eve’s eVTOL aircraft.
If the sale is finalized, deliveries are expected to start in 2026, after Eve receives type certification for its aircraft. In the meantime, the companies said they will work with local stakeholders and authorities to support developing a UAM ecosystem for the United Arab Emirates.
“We are ecstatic to partner with Eve and be the first operator of eVTOL in Dubai and the MENA [Middle East/North Africa] region,” said Ramandeep Oberoi, chief operating officer of Falcon, in a press release. Falcon offers helicopter sightseeing tours from Atlantis, the Palm resort in Dubai, currently handling 40,000 sightseeing passengers annually.
The recent partnership in Dubai adds to the list of markets Eve hopes to tap into with its eVTOL aircraft. Backed by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, Eve has also staked out Brazil for UAM operations, recently completing a concept of operations (CONOPs) detailing how UAM could be integrated in Rio de Janeiro.
In December, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with private airport operator Corporación América Airports to assess the market readiness of ground infrastructure to support eVTOL operations at airports. Brazil is also the region that the company plans to get its eVTOL type certified first.
“The urban air mobility ecosystem includes ground infrastructures and operations, airports, and integration of different transportation modes,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve. “The partnership with Corporación América Airports will allow us to create and implement these concepts, in line with regulatory authorities’ requirements, in different communities in Latin America and Europe supported by Corporación América Airports.”
Rival Vertical Aerospace is also working with Corporación América Airports and its other partners to explore vertiport development in Brazil.