Brazilian startup Flybis has reached an agreement with Eve, Embraer’s electric aircraft subsidiary, to acquire up to 12 eVTOLs, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. The deal includes two firm orders and purchase rights for 10 additional aircraft.
Flybis plans to use the aircraft for flights between cities including Navegantes, Balneário Camboriú and Florianópolis, as well as for tourism services in Rio Grande do Sul, including destinations such as Gramado and Bento Gonçalves. The companies announced the agreement on Wednesday, following a letter of intent disclosed in 2022.
Eve CEO Johann Bordais said the region’s tourism and business activity creates demand for urban air mobility connections. He said Eve and Flybis would continue working to prepare the local ecosystem for safe, efficient and sustainable eVTOL operations.
Eve is testing its aircraft while awaiting certification from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, a requirement for commercial operations. In August, the company conducted the first flight in the aircraft’s transition phase, activating its rear propeller and moving from vertical to horizontal flight. Before that test, the aircraft had only performed hovering flights.
Eve says the transition test was a significant step in validating the aircraft’s systems. The company expects deliveries to begin in 2028. The aircraft currently in development is expected to have a range of 100 kilometers. In June, Bordais said Eve was also considering a future hybrid version powered by electricity and fuel, which could extend the aircraft’s range.
Sources: Folha Mercado.