European business aviation operator ASL Group will be the launch customer for Vaeridion’s Microliner electric aircraft. The German start-up announced the agreement this week during the Paris Air Show and also named members of its market advisory committee, which will include Aero-Dienst, Cirium, Copenhagen Air Taxi, CPH Helicopters, IBA, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, MBA, Monte, and TrueNoord.
Work to develop the aircraft, which will seat up to nine passengers, is now backed by partners including battery specialist Evolito and MT Propeller, as well as GKN Aerospace, Dassault Systèmes, and Bosch. Vaeridion aims to get Microliner certified under EASA’s Part 23 rules to start commercial operations in 2030.
Belgium-based ASL is developing what it describes as a semi-scheduled network. Its agreement with Vaeridion covers an undisclosed number of Microliners, which the company said will operate on flights of up to 217 nm.
Munich-based Vaeridion also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Netherlands’ aerospace research center NLR. Engineers from the agency will help the company with flight testing, systems validation, and regulatory compliance.
“We are now entering the exciting stage of launching an aircraft development program,” said Ivor van Dartel, CEO and co-founder of Vaeridion. “Securing our launch customer and working with outstanding technology partners set the stage to deliver emission-free flight as a scalable, real-world solution before the end of this decade.”