African Airlines Kenya Airways Begins Initiatives to Develop Low Emitting Electric Vertical Aircraft Models 

Kenya Airways and its partners have started initiatives to establish the co-creation of a foundation of concepts and procedures to safely scale electric vertical aircraft (EVA) throughout the country in the coming years. Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions (“Eve”) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kenya Airways PLC, the flag carrier of Kenya, through its fully owned subsidiary Fahari Aviation. The collaboration aims to develop operational models for the wide accessibility of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) to support Fahari Aviation’s key markets.

It is reported that Eve will support Fahari Aviation, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) division of Kenya Airways that promotes safe and secure UAS usage in the region, in establishing its UAM network and collaborate on the required Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) procedures and UAM operating environment. The partnership is reported that it will also allow Fahari Aviation to support Eve’s aircraft and product development process which will help guide the integration of UAM with Kenya Airways’ overall operations.  Eve’s fully electric aircraft is designed to be accessible to all while being a community-friendly aircraft with a low noise signature and no emissions. It aims to drastically cut road travel time. Ideally, it is suited as a UAM aircraft bringing all traditional aviation travelers closer to their final destination efficiently and comfortably.

“We are thrilled to partner with Kenya Airways to provide new forms of air mobility throughout the region for both people and goods. The creation of disruptive and widely accessible Urban Air Mobility solutions will help democratize mobility by making it more accessible, affordable and give communities more options. This partnership will foster long-term mobility strategies throughout the country and region. With our aircraft and aerospace services backing and Kenya Airways’ innovative approach to air mobility, we are enthusiastic about opening this region to more sustainable and community-friendly air access for all,” said Andre Stein, President and CEO of Eve.                               

“Partnerships are vital in mapping out the future of our airline, something which the global crisis has reinforced. Innovation is a critical element of our long-term sustainability. Fahari Aviation is at the forefront of exploring advanced technologies, with a key focus in aviation, starting with drone technology. With this partnership, we look to develop innovative air mobility solutions for our clients in Kenya and throughout the region,” stated Allan Kilavuka, Group Managing Director and CEO of Kenya Airways.

The partnership is expected to deliver a robust strategy to provide Fahari Aviation’s passengers with a sustainable, accessible, and affordable transportation option. It is estimated that using UAM from the airport to downtown, EVA can reduce conventional road trips by up to 90% turning an hour and a half ride into a 6-minute flight.                                     

Kenya Airways, a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, is a leading African airline flying to 41 destinations worldwide, 34 of which are in Africa, and carries over four million passengers annually. In 2020 KQ was named Africa’s Leading Airline by the World Travel Awards. It continues to modernize its fleet, with its 32 aircraft being some of the youngest in Africa. The on-board service is renowned, and the lie-flat business class seat on the wide-body aircraft is consistently voted among the world’s top 10. Kenya Airways takes pride in being at the forefront of connecting Africa to the World and the World to Africa through its hub at the new ultra-modern Terminal 1A at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.

Fahari Aviation is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kenya Airways PLC that will lead the application of Emerging Aviation technology in the region and continent. Fahari’s initial focus will be the application of drone technology in training, operations, and traffic management with a view to growing into maintenance distribution and design, and production of drones.

Eve is a new independent company founded by Embraer dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Benefitting from a start-up mindset, backed by Embraer’s more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise, and with a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem with an advanced electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle (eVTOL) project, comprehensive global services and support network, and a unique air traffic management solution. Eve is the first company to graduate from EmbraerX.

A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, EmbraerX has businesses in Commercial and Executive Aviation, Defence and Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures, and markets aircraft and systems, providing services and support to its customers.