EVTOL partners to establish medical flights on Taiwanese islands
The three partners will initially work to establish emergency medical flights in Taiwan’s Penghu archipelago, with a prospective launch date in 2028
Japanese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer SkyDrive has formed a new partnership with 7A Drones and Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute.
The partnership will see the three organizations explore the potential of eVTOLs for emergency medical transport in Taiwan.
The partners will develop use cases for the technology, with a focus on the Penghu Islands, an archipelago located off of Taiwan’s west coast, with initial planned routes expected to connect various smaller islands to facilities in Penghu’s administrative capital, Magong City.
The routes will radiate from Magong City within a 10km radius, and will initially focus on developing the infrastructure required to dispatch physicians. The first trial will connect a hospital in Magong City with Hujing Island.
Services are scheduled to launch in 2028, and will form part of the Taiwanese government’s broader advanced air mobility (AAM) policy.
As part of the partnership, 7A Drones has placed a pre-order with 7A Drones for up to 10 SKYDRIVE eVTOLs.
Provision of medical care in the Penghu archipelago, which comprises approximately 90 islands, 19 of which are inhabited, has been a long-standing issue. It is hoped that the use of eVTOLs may improve the standard of care offered.
New Zealand Air Ambulance Service (NZAAS) recently placed an order for two new eVTOLs with aerospace firm BETA Technologies.