The thought of eVTOL aircraft excites millions of travelers. Those who live in or visit Chicago in particular are in for some pleasing news, as a local manufacturer plans to order 50 eVTOL aircraft, also known as air taxis.
While it’s not known when these aircraft would be assembled or delivered, this makes for an additional opportunity for Chicagoans to ride in an air taxi in the near future.
Chicago eVTOL: Flights Above the Windy City
Eve Air Mobility (Eve) has issued a press release outlining a recent agreement of up to 50 air taxis. The client is an Illinois-based company known as Helicopters Inc. The deal took place during the Revolution.Aero Advanced Air Mobility Conference.
In addition to the aircraft, Helicopters Inc. will receive Eve’s urban air traffic management software Vector as well as support services from Eve.
The two companies have collaborated in Chicago since 2022 to bring a new kind of air service to the city. The parties conducted simulation flights from ‘Vertiport Chicago’, a location downtown within the city’s medical district. Using a helicopter, they flew from Vertiport Chicago to heliports from two local hospitals, mimicking a hypothetical air taxi route.
Eve designed a concept image of a Helicopters Inc.-branded eVTOL hovering over New York (surprisingly not Chicago).
During the press release, Eve Chief Commercial Officer Megha Bhatia shared her remarks on the exciting new deal:
“Helicopters Inc. is a recognized leader, safely operating aircraft in more than 30 metropolitan areas throughout the U.S., and we are excited to add such a credible vertical lift operator to our list of customers. We look forward to working with them on deploying our all-electric eVTOL aircraft as part of their extensive U.S. operation.”
President of Helicopters Inc. Tom Wagner also gave encouraging words following the recent order of goods and services:
“Eve Air Mobility’s maturity and reliability…was a key factor in our decision to select Eve for our future eVTOL aircraft. The eVTOL aircraft will provide numerous advantages including competitive cost of operation, fewer parts and optimized structures and systems, not to mention a lower noise footprint and environmental benefits.”
The Future of Air Taxis in Chicago
The announcement further reveals that the two companies will collaborate further regarding the use of Eve aircraft in additional cities. Helicopters Inc. executives see the potential to use air taxis for transportation to and from airports and hospitals.
Owned by acclaimed aircraft manufacturer Embraer, Eve is headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil and will plan to produce its aircraft there. The company touts that businesses from around the world intend to order almost 3,000 aircraft in total.
United Airlines is aiming to provide the first eVTOL services in Chicago in 2025. Details reveal the flights will last around ten minutes and connect Chicago O’Hare International Airport with Vertiport Chicago. No updates have been given since the initial announcement from 2023.
