Japan Airlines and Avolon partner-up for eVTOLs

Lessor Avolon has announced a partnership with Japan Airlines to create the first eVTOL ride sharing business in Japan. As part of the agreement, JAL has the right to lease or purchase 50 Vertical Aerospace VA-X4s, with options on another 50.

The aircraft are coming from the orders Avolon placed in June with Vertical Aerospace for 310 VA-X4s with options on another 190. Japan Airlines and Avolon plan to have the concept up and running in time for the Osaka Kansai Expo in 2025.

Vertical Aerospace has been launched in 2016 with the aim "to make air travel personal, on demand and carbon free". It has produced two prototypes to test technologies. The VA-X1 (flown for the first time in 2018) and the VA-X2 (flown first in 2019). The VA-X4 was officially launched in 2020 and will be able to carry four passengers (next to the pilot) over a distance of 160 km with a maximum speed of 325 km/hr. It will be near-silent in flight and has no CO2-emissions. Next to a passenger-variant, the company is also planning a medevac- and a cargo-variant. Vertical Aerospace is working on the VA-X4 prototype with a first test-flight planned for later this year. Entry into commercial service should then happen by 2024 depending, of course, on the progress of the certification process.

Illustration by Avolon.