The Revolution Aero event that since 2018 has provided a vibrant platform for advanced air mobility (AAM) pioneers returns to San Francisco on September 12 and 13. More than 300 investors, start-up founders, regulators, financiers, engineers, and self-proclaimed industry disruptors are expected to gather in California, which has become a center for new urban and regional air transportation technology and business models.
The event's agenda promises a candid assessment of the state of this much-hyped part of the aviation industry. With the first commercial air taxi services potentially little more than 24 months away from launch in 2024, speakers will address timely topics such as how the new aircraft will be financed and how flights will be marketed in a way that delivers on the industry’s long-standing pledge to democratize “personal aviation.” Speakers will come from companies including Mobility Capital and leasing group LCI, as well as flight retailers and operators Sentient Jet/OneSky, Blade Air Mobility, and Wheels Up.
While much of the early excitement in the AAM sector has concerned the rapidly multiplying numbers of new eVTOL aircraft, the last year or so has seen mounting interest in longer-range, electric fixed-wing models designed to breathe new life into regional air services connecting communities that lack major airports. Speakers from companies including Electra.Aero, Odys Aviation, and Ampaire will address questions such as whether these operations will require separate ecosystems.
In 2021, much of the excitement around AAM was stoked by high-profile initial public offerings that saw prominent eVTOL start-ups including Joby, Archer, Lilium, and Eve head to Wall Street on the back of mergers with special purpose acquisition companies. That bubble may not have burst yet, but there are undeniable signs of deflation in equity values, and so a reality check on funding sources and prospects is also prominent on the Revolution Aero agenda, with expertise on offer from several investment groups, including Raymond James and Avascent.
New propulsion methods and the much-hailed march towards autonomous flight continue to be fundamental to what sets AAM apart. The conference will hear from leaders in hydrogen technology, including ZeroAvia, Hypoint, and AeroTec, and also from experts making the case for sustainable aviation fuels as a parallel path to reducing carbon output.
In addition, attendees will get the latest on the Pentagon’s commitment to advancing the new technologies for possible military applications, with Colonel Nathan Diller, director of the U.S. Air Force’s Afwerx department, leading a session on the connection between defense and commercial efforts in the AAM field.
The event will also include a Pitch session for start-ups younger than three years old and with less than £5 million in funding to compete for backing.
FutureFlight will provide extensive coverage of Revolution Aero 2022, which will be held at San Francisco’s InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel. Bookings are open. For more information, contact Ollie Hymers: [email protected].
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