Omni Air Taxi Trials Could Prove the eVTOL Business Case

Omni Helicopters International stands out in a business aviation sector that has generally remained quite reserved, and even skeptical, about the viability of urban and advanced air mobility. This year has seen the company doubling down on its efforts to diversify beyond rotorcraft operations into new markets, including eVTOL air taxis and drone services.

The Portugal-based group’s subsidiary in Brazil has begun proof-of-concept flight trials with between three and five helicopters standing in for the eVTOL vehicles it expects to start receiving from Eve Air Mobility in 2027. In June, Omni spinoff Revo signed an agreement with Eve to buy up to 50 examples of the four-passenger aircraft.

Omni’s CEO, Jeremy Akel, joined the company in 2019, having previously held senior positions with the Bristow Group and Milestone Aviation. His mandate was to chase growth after a period in which the group’s strength in offshore energy industry support had been under threat from dented oil prices. The best trajectory appeared to be international expansion, but then Covid hit, forcing another rethink that led it to emerging eVTOL and drone opportunities.

So now, the company is looking to build on its strength in Brazil, where oil and gas customers will continue to account for the biggest revenue streams. The early flights using helicopters are connecting points across the sprawling, traffic-infested city of São Paulo, providing connections to Guarulhos International Airport and to several beachside and inland communities where affluent locals have homes.

“It’s like serving four or five versions of the Hamptons [outside New York City],” Akel told AIN. The flights to and from downtown are anywhere between 50 and 75 miles (43 nm and 65 nm), and so most of these will be within the initial range limit of Eve’s eVTOL model, for which the technology demonstrator flight is anticipated by year end.

Akel sees the market for eVTOL transportation expanding in São Paulo as second-home communities increasingly become passengers’ main residences. The tipping point for this is the development of nearby schools and hospitals, in his view. For now, the trial involves both scheduled services and ad hoc charter bookings.

During the São Paulo Grand Prix event from November 7 to 9, Revo and Eve deployed the manufacturer’s Vector urban air traffic management software to manage operations for the per-seat helicopter charter service. The current version includes modules for vertiport and ground operations, and next year Eve plans to introduce a fleet operations module that could support eVTOL flights.

Next Stop: The U.S. Market

Omni’s management team is now poised to make its next move by launching trial operations in a second location. Having evaluated options including Rio de Janeiro, Bogota in Colombia, Peru’s capital Lima, and Mexico City, the company has instead resolved to expand to an as-yet-unconfirmed U.S. city. It seems set to avoid directly competing with rivals Joby and Archer in metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles.

The U.S. move will likely be made with a partner. In Akel’s opinion, launching air taxi services is more viable for companies like Omni that are not also consumed with the responsibility for developing and building the aircraft—as is the case for both Joby and Archer.

According to Akel, Omni has an advantage over eVTOL companies that raised funds by going public through SPAC-backed flotations, including Embraer spin-off Eve. That advantage is the ability to take time to get the business model right, rather than racing to start generating returns for investors.

“Investors could lose confidence [waiting for certification and the start of commercial flights], but we have a steady revenue stream already, and we’re dominant in our markets,” he commented.

Apart from proving the operating principles for the air taxi network, Omni is learning a lot about its prospective customers from the early adopters it is now serving with helicopters. It is seeking to build what Akel calls public trust, which involves showing people how life-changing the new service could be and convincing stakeholders such as neighborhood and municipal officials that the aircraft can enrich communities, even for those who are not yet willing or able to book flights.

Akel believes the Revo eVTOL operations will break the cycle of largely unsuccessful shared-use helicopter business models. For now, Omni is the backbone of the Revo-branded operation, providing flight crew, equipment, and maintenance, and it is already working with Eve to train future eVTOL pilots.

“Instead of what you have in real estate—location, location, location—it’s a case of learn, learn, learn,” he concluded. “No one really knows how to be an eVTOL operator. We’re trying to learn our passengers’ habits, fears, and needs, and how to create real value. No one else is yet doing this at scale as we are in São Paulo.”