Eve Air Mobility has signed a provisional sales agreement with Japanese helicopter flight booking platform AirX for up to 50 of Eve’s four-passenger eVTOL aircraft, which the company plans to use for sightseeing tours and commercial air taxi operations in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In a letter of intent signed April 17, AirX committed to ordering 10 aircraft with options for another 40.
In addition to Eve’s eVTOL air taxi, AirX has also signed up for Eve’s Urban ATM (air traffic management) system, which will provide scalable urban air mobility services for fleet operators, vertiports, and air navigation service providers. The Urban ATM system is designed “to enable the safe, efficient, and predictable ecosystem to support eVTOL operations alongside many other airspace users,” according to Eve.
“We are deeply impressed not only by Eve’s technological capabilities, but also by their commitment to building an ecosystem,” AirX CEO Kiwamu Tezuka said in a statement. “Our aim is to revolutionize the current industry, making transport services useful and affordable for everyone. By integrating our knowledge, experiences, and existing business platform with Eve’s comprehensive solutions, we hope to overcome transportation limitations by advancing eVTOL operations in Japan.”
Founded in 2015, Tokyo-based AirX offers charter flights in aircraft operated by other companies, using its database and software to identify available aircraft and provide instant pricing. It intends to add eVTOL air taxis to its Airos network, although it has not yet indicated who will operate the vehicles.
AirX also plans to include up to 50 of EHang’s two-seat EH216 autonomous aerial vehicles in its charter network, the company announced in 2022. EHang, which is based in China, recently became the world’s first eVTOL developer to obtain a type certificate for commercial air taxi operations, but the company has not yet said when it expects to get approval from Japan’s air safety regulators.
Last month, AirX and EHang opened an urban air mobility center in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, where AirX aims to offer sightseeing tours using eVTOL aircraft such as the EH216 and Eve’s air taxi, which is expected to enter service in 2026.
Eve is currently assembling its first full-scale prototype in a factory at Taubaté in Brazil's São Paulo state—close to Embraer, Eve’s parent company—and intends to begin flight testing later this year.
The company has announced several supplier selections in recent months. On April 14, it announced that Korea Aerospace Industries will supply its eVTOL pylons, the part of the airframe that supports the electric power units and eight vertical lift propellers. In February, Eve revealed that Aciturri will supply wing skins and spars, and Crouzet will supply the inceptor, commonly known as the pilot’s control stick.
Following the deal with AirX, Eve said it now holds letters of intent for nearly 3,000 eVTOL aircraft, although the company did not specify how many of those “pre-orders” came with cash deposits.