Private flight platform Skycab has launched a partnership aimed at developing applications for Manta Aircraft’s planned hybrid-electric aircraft that will operate in both vertical and short takeoff and landing modes. The companies launched the collaboration in early June, publishing examples of how the Ann family of aircraft could offer alternatives to helicopters, cars, trains, and ferries on domestic routes in Italy.
The Ann2 and Ann Plus models will carry between two and five passengers and are expected to have a range of at least 300 kilometers (163 nm) when operating in vertical takeoff and landing mode. Operating from a short field of less than 1,000 feet, the range would increase to at least 800 kilometers (435 nm).
Italy-based Skycab currently arranges flights for clients in aircraft operated by other companies. These range in size from the Piper PA28 and Cirrus SR22 piston aircraft to light jets such as the Cessna Citation CJ2 and the Embraer Phenom 300.
Manta and Skycab said they will develop initial routes and pricing for flights that will use existing infrastructure. The partners plan to share their proposed business model with prospective aircraft operators, which might include regional airlines, as well as with end users.
In May, Manta announced that it is working with IT engineering group Altair to finalize the designs for the Ann aircraft. It is aiming to achieve type certification in 2027 and aims to build a full-scale technology demonstrator for the two-seat Ann2 model by mid-2025.
The routes proposed by Manta and Skycab include flights from Rome’s Urbe Airport to a helipad in Capri, which is a popular tourist hub in the south of Italy. The companies estimated that the journey would take 50 minutes, with seats priced at €50 ($54) per passenger. By comparison, they said the trip would take three or four hours by rail, road, and ferry, and a chartered helicopter would cost €5,000.
Other sample itineraries for Manta Ann Plus air taxi services include from Milan Bresso Airport to a parking lot in the ski resort of Cortina, with a flight time of 60 minutes and a price per passenger of €60. A trip between airports in Siena and Nice would involve a 95-minute flight at a cost per passenger of €95.