Embraer to bring air taxis to Manila by 2026

MANILA, Philippines — Electric air taxis could take flight in Manila in as early as five years’ time following a partnership between global aerospace company Embraer and Singapore based start-up Ascent Flights Global Ltd.

Eve Urban Air Mobility LLC, an Embraer company, and Ascent have announced a collaboration aimed at developing a robust urban air mobility ecosystem in Asia-Pacific.

In a statement, Eve said it would provide Ascent with up to 100,000 hours of flight time per year on its electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also known in the market as EVA or electrical vertical aircraft, beginning in 2026.

“Ascent is one of the greatest players of urban air mobility in Asia-Pacific and its strong presence in the region makes it an ideal partner for Eve’s operations. The region holds a massive demand for transportation disruption that can be filled with our low-emission aircraft. This is the right recipe for sustainable growth,” Eve president and CEO Andre Stein said.

Eve plans to deploy up to 100 aircraft to be marketed by Ascent on its current and future routes.

Ascent, which acts as an independent on-demand platform, will pay for flight time utilized on Eve’s aircraft while operating in combination with partners in Asia Pacific and other markets.

The new agreement is part of Eve´s comprehensive urban air mobility strategy to position the company as a leader in the industry.

The deployment of Eve aircraft across the Ascent network is subject to the parties entering into definitive final agreements.

Ascent is currently operational in Southeast Asia, making use of helicopters and planes while it awaits for the eVTOLs.

“Eve’s innovative technology, combined with its manufacturing expertise and global servicing footprint through Embraer, comfort us in bringing a solution fitting the region’s complex requirements. With Ascent operating system onboarding Eve’s fleet and connected to Eve’s Urban Air Traffic Management, air operator partners will be empowered to elevate UAM operations at scale,” Ascent founder and CEO Lionel Sinai-Sinelnikoff said.

Eve’s zero-emission and low noise EVA represents a simple and intuitive design that continues to reach development milestones.

The first flight of the engineering simulator happened in July 2020, while a proof of concept followed in October last year.