Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University&#039;s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is now based in Seattle near Boeing Field and spends her free time exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest.

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Hanneke Weitering

VoltAero is stepping into the North American market through a partnership with AltiSky, which will oversee the assembly, sales, training, and maintenance for the French manufacturer’s Cassio family of hybrid-electric aircraft in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
In a memorandum of understanding, which the partners announced at Air Expo Abu Dhabi on November 19, AltiSky pledged to build a 30,000-sq-ft assembly facility at an as-yet-determined location in the U.S., with an adjoining delivery center and training facility equipped with a flight simulator. AltiSky also plans to establish a network of regional maintenance support facilities.
Tennessee-based AltiSky has been an authorized distributor and service center for Tecnam, an Italian airplane manufacturer, since 2021. Its president and co-founder, Bill Minkoff, is a former Delta Air Lines captain and experienced aircraft salesman. He also co-founded and served as vice president of the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/news-article/2021-03-17/new-advanced-air-mobility-association-will-focus-electric-aviation">Advanced Air Mobility Association</a>.
“After looking at many of the all-electric airplanes currently under development—including eVTOLs—I’m convinced that VoltAero’s approach is truly realistic, bringing Cassio’s configuration as a conventional takeoff and landing aircraft together with the company’s proprietary electric-hybrid propulsion system,” Minkoff said in a statement.&nbsp;
“Cassio uses battery technology and power output levels available today, backed by the safety of VoltAero’s dual-source electric-hybrid powertrain. Additionally, its operation from airports reduces risks that eVTOLs face in terms of urban acceptance and the need for significant infrastructure development.”
VoltAero plans to produce three models of Cassio aircraft: the five-seat Cassio 330, the six-seat Cassio 480, and a Cassio 600 model that could seat 10 to 12 passengers. Its first production model will be the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/news-article/2023-06-19/voltaero-unveils-first-cassio-330-prototype-aircraft-ahead-first-flight">Cassio 330</a>, for which the company plans to begin flying a full-scale technology demonstrator in 2025. It is targeting 2026 for EASA type certification.&nbsp;
Earlier this month, VoltAero inaugurated a 25,839-sq-ft <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2024-11-11/voltaero-opens-assembly-facility-cassio-hybrid-electric">final assembly facility at Rochefort Airport</a> in western France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. That facility, which also serves as VoltAero’s headquarters, will have the capacity to produce 150 Cassio aircraft per year, the company said.

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VoltAero Picks U.S. Distributor for Cassio Hybrid-electric Aircraft 

AltiSky will assemble, sell, and service VoltAero's aircraft

AltiSky will assemble, sell, and service VoltAero's Cassio family of hybrid-electric aircraft in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

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