Australian advanced air mobility (AAM) group Skyportz is launching a new subsidiary to operate electric and hybrid-electric aircraft. The new Wilbur Air operation this week announced its intention to acquire up to 100 of Electra’s nine-passenger eSTOL aircraft, and it will fly these on routes using Skyportz’s planned network of vertiports in several Australian cities.
Wilbur Air intends to work with existing operators who have fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in their fleets and want to transition to AAM aircraft and fly services under its brand with priority access to Skyportz’s vertiports. The Electra aircraft is expected to enter service in 2028 after being certified under FAA Part 23 rules.
The production version of the Electra aircraft will have ground rolls as short as 150 feet, allowing it to operate from short landing strips of around 300 feet in length, including sites in urban areas. The company is projecting an operating range of up to 500 miles and speeds of 200 mph and expects its ability to access places not previously open to fixed-wing aircraft to support multiple new civil and military applications.
Skyportz Seeks Funding for Infrastructure
Next week, Melbourne-based Skyportz will launch a fundraising round to support its efforts to build AAM infrastructure that could include landing sites established in urban and suburban locations, including parking lots and public buildings.
“There is enormous interest from the property industry to help us break the nexus between aviation and airports,” said CEO and founder Clem Newton-Brown. “In the future, commercial and industrial landholders could be able to establish mini airports and vertistops to become part of the Skyportz network.”
Skyportz’s plans for Wilbur Air are expected to include partnerships with other manufacturers. The company said these could include heavy-lifting drone deliveries, as well as short and longer-range passenger transportation.
“We are working with governments, air regulators, and communities to establish the parameters for the introduction of vertiport infrastructure and short takeoff and landing runways,” said Newton-Brown. “If all the aircraft do is fly from airports and helipads then there will be no revolution. We need to start developing vertiports in new locations now.”
On April 12, the Australian Association for Uncrewed Aircraft released a roadmap for how it sees the AAM sector developing in Australia.