Air taxi company plots routes for ‘flying cars’; flights could start in 2027

The main air taxi operator in Brazil, Revo is finalizing the mapping of the first commercial routes for eVTOLs, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft known as “flying cars”, and is already planning to start operations in São Paulo from the last quarter of 2027, in the most optimistic schedule.

It is the most concrete sign yet that the service is closer to becoming a reality in Brazil, amid a global race to realize what promises to become a new mode of transport.

Revo signed a purchase contract for up to 50 eVTOLs with Eve Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Embraer, which has scheduled deliveries of flying vehicles within 18 to 24 months. Controlled by the Portuguese group OHI, the air taxi company has operated a helicopter travel platform in São Paulo since 2023 and is now preparing to introduce electric aircraft.

The initial focus will be on mobility in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region, seen as the most promising in the country for this new generation of air transport.

‘Demand already exists’

João Welsh, CEO of Revo, revealed to GLOBO that the plan is to initially connect the expanded center of São Paulo and Guarulhos International Airport, in the Metropolitan Region, and routes within the city connecting business hubs such as Paulista, Faria Lima and Berrini avenues and the Alphaville condominium, in Barueri, also in Greater São Paulo.

He explains that the “focal point” will be the airport, from where the company already makes an average of 22 helicopter flights per day. The route is Revo’s biggest revenue generator, which plans to begin operating eVTOLs with the transition of passengers who currently fly by helicopter.

— There is a demand from passengers who want predictability when taking this route, as traffic in the city only gets worse — says Welsh.

The company is also studying routes to industrial cities in São Paulo that have strong business links with the capital, such as Campinas and São José dos Campos. However, Welsh admits that this long-distance operation is still considered more complex initially due to the distance, requiring a more rigorous cost-benefit analysis.

Although there is a consolidated market for weekend flights for those who can afford to get faster to destinations on the coast or farms and condominiums in the interior, Revo’s eVTOLs are not expected to replace helicopters on these routes at first. The conversion to electric vehicles is seen later.

The rates for a future eVTOL service remain undefined, but Revo wants to start calculating them based on a new annual subscription model for short helicopter trips in the capital of São Paulo. The new route test package offers 30 annual seats for US$13,650 (R$68,600) in H135 and H155 twin-engine Airbus helicopters and can serve as a transition.

— Preparation work for eVTOLs has already begun and we now want to stabilize the ecosystem and collect data on these routes. We are already training mechanics, pilots, preparing and studying all the necessary infrastructure for these aircraft. In addition to defining how we connect the customer to vertiports and the entire sensitive price definition process — said the executive, mentioning the modality’s future embarkation and disembarkation terminals.

Aircraft and certification

The eVTOL that Revo will operate is the Eve 100, which is in the testing phase. The Embraer subsidiary concluded last week a campaign of 59 flights with its engineering prototype, focused on stationary lift maneuvers — hovering flight, like when a helicopter is stopped in the air — and at low speed.

The next step is transition flights, the phase considered the most complex of development, in which the vertical thrusters transfer thrust to the horizontal propellers, allowing sustained flight by the wings, like a conventional airplane.

Certification, a process by which the regulator validates that the equipment meets safety requirements for commercial operation, is the responsibility of the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac). Roberto Honorato, director of the agency, confirmed to GLOBO that Eve is aiming for the certificate between the end of 2027 and the beginning of 2028, but highlighted that the schedule is the total responsibility of the company, not the regulator:

— We evaluate the process as a whole, because Eve, despite being a new company, is a spin-off of Embraer, which has a lot of experience in certifying aeronautical products. When Embraer filed for certification, we already followed the development of several systems, for example, a simulator that is in São José dos Campos. It serves as a laboratory to test the operating concept of the equipment.

Despite Revo’s optimism, the director calibrates expectations about the initial scale of operations. According to Honorato, many complex definitions of infrastructure, vertiport specifications and integration with the city are still needed. His expectation is that this modality will take a few more years to take off.

— The start will not be with hundreds of pieces of equipment operating every 15 minutes. We are talking about a manufacturer and operator acting together, dedicated routes and a limited flow. There is still a lot to be defined, but the effort and progress of the various airport infrastructure operators, Brazilian and foreign, who are dedicating themselves to the subject, is undeniable.

Niche or revolution?

The enthusiasm of those investing in eVTOLs also finds a technical counterpoint among urban planners. Jurandir Fernandes, coordinator of the Transport and Urban Mobility Council of the São Paulo Engineers Union, recognizes the economic importance of the project, but does not see a revolution in mobility:

— For 24 million inhabitants, eVTOL is niche, with no illusion that it will have any impact on the need for mass transport. In the short term, around five or ten years, it will not have a major impact on the general mobility of São Paulo.

Fernandes sees greater viability in specific uses, such as executive transport, medical emergencies and regional travel, but warns of the risk of using public resources to make this new mode viable:

— I would only apply public resources to mass transport such as subways, urban and regional trains. I have full sympathy for eVTOLs and what they can provide in the future, but I believe this is a venture for private capital to cover the risks.

The challenge of transforming these electric aircraft into a safe transport alternative is faced by manufacturers and operating companies around the world. Embraer already has around 2,900 purchase intentions from various countries, enough to guarantee years of production.

In the USA, the American company Joby Aviation made the first public flight of an eVTOL this month. It was less than ten minutes between JFK Airport and downtown Manhattan, New York. By car, it could take two hours. The company operates in partnership with Uber, with projected rates equivalent to Uber Black, maintaining the service, for now, in the premium segment.

Brazil can be a pioneer

Welsh, from Revo, believes that Brazil is capable of being the first country to begin commercial operations in this new airline market. He praises the certification process conducted by Anac, which has already conducted, for example, one of the first regulatory sandboxes — controlled testing environments that allow regulatory exceptions to stimulate innovation — in the country, with a focus on future vertiports.

According to the executive, the biggest concern until the start of commercial operations should be licensing and coordination with city halls. São Paulo already has the largest fleet of urban helicopters in the world and hundreds of helipads that can be adapted, but converting them into vertiports is one of the structural challenges, as is the installation of high voltage cables to recharge eVTOL batteries.

— The infrastructure part of cities might worry me a little more. There are several entities and involve various types of licensing, and it is no longer just an aeronautical issue. It will require great coordination between all city departments — said the executive.

The Municipal Department of Urban Planning and Licensing of São Paulo reported that it follows studies by Anac and other bodies on the operation of eVTOLs, evaluating compatibility with current legislation and possible regulatory adjustments.