The Future of Advanced Air Mobility

Eve Starts eVTOL 'Simulation' with Helisul Helicopter Charter Flights

Embraer’s Eve Air Mobility subsidiary is preparing to start trial urban air mobility operations using helicopters to connect Barra da Tijuca–an upscale suburb of Rio de Janeiro–with the Brazilian city’s Tom Jobim International Airport. Flights, which will begin November 8, will be operated by Helisul Aviation and can be reserved through flight booking platform Flapper.

Both companies are prospective launch customers for the four-seat eVTOL aircraft that Eve intends to certify in 2026. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer describes the new service as a “simulation” for a concept of operations for eVTOL aircraft and says it forms part of a wider exercise started in August. This involves around 50 technical specialists from more than a dozen organizations, representing various service providers and stakeholders.

Barra da Tijuca is about 22 miles from Rio’s main international airport, with a projected drive time of almost 40 minutes. The trial helicopter flights will run for a month, with six daily flights.

The partners will be looking to assess factors such as acceptable flight routes for the services, which will have to account for noise issues around residential areas and may not be able to use the most direct routings. In this respect, they will want to consider that eVTOLs are expected to have a different operational profile from helicopters.

According to Eve, the flights will be available to passengers at “a more affordable cost than a conventional helicopter service.” However, the company did not provide details on pricing for the service, which will use Helisul’s existing rotorcraft fleet, or how the higher helicopter operating costs will be spread among the partners.

According to Eve, Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency and the Department of Airspace Control will monitor the simulation exercise. Vertiport developer Skyports, energy group EDP, aviation service platform Beacon, and air traffic management group Atech are also supporting the project. FBO group Universal Aviation will provide ground support for the helicopters.

In June, Helisul placed a provisional order for up to 50 of the all-electric eVTOL aircraft, which are expected to have a range of up to 60 miles. One month later, Eve announced an agreement with Flapper under which the manufacturer guarantees up to 25,000 flight hours through as-yet-unspecified operators in various South American cities, including São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Belo Horizonte in Brazil; the Chilean capital, Santiago; Bogotá in Colombia; and Mexico City.

“Eve’s human-centered approach to development seeks practical validation of concepts and assumptions that will help us understand and address the key challenges associated with delivering the [UAM] service,” said Eve CEO Andre Stein. “Rio de Janeiro is one of the cities with the worst traffic in the world, and the simulation will help us to survey the real needs of users, partners, and the community who will benefit from our mobility solutions.”