Aircraft sales broker Global Sky has agreed to buy 15 of VoltAero’s Cassio hybrid-electric aircraft. The memorandum of understanding signed on Monday would make Singapore-based Global Sky the launch customer for the French start-up’s vehicle.
VoltAero is developing three members of the Cassio family, with seating capacity for between five and 12 passengers. The aircraft could serve a variety of regional air services, freight deliveries, and emergency medical support.
The aircraft is powered by a combination of Safran’s EngineUs 100 electric motor mounted in the aft of the fuselage and an internal combustion engine. Operating in all-electric mode, the range would be limited to around 82 nm. However, its range would increase when the aircraft flies on engine power, which would also recharge batteries.
VoltAero is exhibiting the first example of the Cassio 330 model at the Farnborough Airshow this week. “Cassio is a perfect match for the regional air mobility ambitions of Southeast Asia, bringing together the aircraft’s flight range with the designed-in safety of our patented parallel electric-hybrid propulsion system,” said Jean Botti, the company’s CEO and chief technology officer.