Avalon partner with Gol and Grupo Comporte on eVTOL rideshare platform
Gol and Grupo commit to purchasing or leasing 250 eVTOL aircraft as the organizations commit to building a ridesharing platform in Brazil, albeit in 2024
International aircraft leasing company Avalon will provide 250 eVTOL aircraft in its partnership with Grupo Comporte, a transport operator in Brazil, and Gol, the country’s largest airline, to commercialize an eVTOL ridesharing platform.
The VA-X4, manufactured by Vertical Aerospace, is set to launch in 2024, with Avalon a launch customer. The VA-X4 is expected to transport up to four passengers and one pilot as far as 100 miles at a top speed of 200 mph.
Dómhnal Slattery, CEO of Avolon CEO, commented: “Gol and Grupo Comporte both bring broad and diverse networks, along with proven track records in scaling multiple businesses, making them the ideal strategic partners for Avolon. Their unparallel market access, coupled with our deep knowledge and relationships with the Brazilian market, leaves us strongly positioned to capitalize on the expected demand for VA-X4 zero-emissions, ultra-short-haul transport.”
Despite the eVTOL market’s relative immaturity, the US Air Force recently approved the first eVTOL aircraft as part of the Force’s Agility Prime initiative.
Khai Trung Le
Khai Trung Le is Editor of AirMed&Rescue. He is an experienced science writer, having previously been embedded in Cardiff University College of Physical Sciences, Innovate UK research council, and the UK Institute of Material Sciences. His writing can also be found on Star Trek and Vice.