Odys Aviation and Honeywell have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop ground control stations to support the rollout of Odys Aviation's uncrewed, hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft, called Laila, in the Middle East and Pacific regions.
Honeywell and Odys plan to launch a pilot program with Laila and the new ground control stations next year. The partners designed Laila to deliver cargo up to 230 miles, which makes it a good candidate for applications such as pipeline inspections, leak detection, geological surveys, maritime operations, and logistics services, according to Odys.
The ground control stations Honeywell provides can scale to meet the needs of any VTOL platform. It allows remote pilots to manage multiple vehicles simultaneously, including beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations.
"As companies seek to expand their development and operation of uncrewed vehicles, safe operation from a remote environment is critical," said David Shillliday, vice president of advanced air mobility at Honeywell Aerospace. "Our planned collaboration with Odys Aviation will represent a significant milestone, moving our innovative solutions from testing to real-life scenarios."
Under the terms of their agreement, Odys and Honeywell will work closely with Oman's national transport company, Mwasalat, to bring aerial logistics programs to market in the Sultanate and elsewhere in the Gulf Cooperation Council.