A Kenya Airways Boeing 787 in London (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson) COVID-19 pandemic hit the aviation industry hard. Though for many airlines recovery plans are a key priority, innovations and technologies are still on the agenda.
Kenya Airways PLC (KQ), through its fully owned subsidiary Fahari Aviation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Embraer’s Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions (“Eve”) to develop operational models for the wide-accessibility of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) to support Fahari Aviation’s key markets.
The partnership will establish the co-creation of a foundation of concepts and procedures to safely scale electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
“We are thrilled to partner with Kenya Airways to provide new forms of air mobility throughout the region for both people and goods. 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.”
“This partnership will foster long-term mobility strategies throughout the country and region. With our aircraft and aerospace services backing and Kenya Airways’ innovative approach to air mobility, we are enthusiastic about opening this region to more sustainable and community-friendly air access for all,” said Andre Stein, President & CEO of Eve.
“Partnerships are vital in mapping out the future of our airline, something which the global crisis has reinforced. Innovation is a critical element of our long-term sustainability. Fahari Aviation is at the forefront of exploring advanced technologies, with a key focus in aviation, starting with drone technology. With this partnership, we look to develop innovative air mobility solutions for our clients in Kenya and throughout the region,” stated Allan Kilavuka, Group Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Airways.
Fahari Aviation is the Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) division of Kenya Airways that promotes safe and secure UAS usage in the region.
The pioneering start-up innovation hub launched in July 8 , also seeks to bring together entrepreneurs and innovators to share their insights and visions for sustainability, engineering and customer experience objectives to accelerate impactful solutions to some of the aviation industry’s business challenges.
The Eve partnership will help in establishing Fahari Aviation UAM network and collaborate on the required Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) procedures and UAM operating environment.
By delivering a robust strategy to provide Fahari Aviation’s passengers with a sustainable, accessible, and affordable transportation option, it is estimated that using UAM from the airport to downtown, EVA can reduce conventional road trips by up […]