FutureFlight
Long-term Business Case for eVTOL Makers will Hinge on Autonomous Operation, say Embraer Execs
Autonomous eVTOL aircraft will be immune from the effects of pilot shortages, say some manufacturers, who are also looking to reduced the cost structure for air taxi services.
Eve eVTOL
Advanced air mobility vehicles such as Eve's eVTOL aircraft will fly in a more structured environment than urban road systems, for example, potentially making autonomous operations in the air safer than on the ground. (Image: Eve)

The long-term viability of the eVTOL aircraft market will depend on the ability to adapt and certify the segment’s vehicles for autonomous flight, according to Embraer executives assembled at the company’s main facilities in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, for a series of media briefings this week. Discussing the prospects for the eVTOL vehicle under development by Eve Urban Air Mobility, which is majority-owned by the aircraft manufacturer, Embraer's engineering head Luis Carlos Affonso said a key benefit of advanced air mobility lies with the immunity from pilot shortages full flight autonomy would allow.

Eve aims to start deliveries of its four-passenger eVTOL model in 2026, and already has collected more than 1,800 provisional commitments from operators. Initially, the planned air taxi services will operate with a pilot on board.