AIR拓展美国eVTOL运营

AIR, a designer and manufacturer of eVTOL aircraft, has received an FAA Experimental Airworthiness Certificate for the company’s newest prototype, the AIR ONE. 

The certificate for the personal-use eVTOL enables the Israeli-founded firm to expand flight testing at its facility near West Palm Beach, Florida, where it plans to validate performance, safety and operational capabilities. According to the company, the site will also serve as a demonstration hub for partners and stakeholders as it builds its U.S. presence.

The two-seat AIR ONE is designed for personal flying, while an uncrewed cargo version is being developed for defense, logistics and humanitarian missions. The platform is rated for one hour of flight time per charge with a payload capacity of 550 pounds and a maximum speed of 155 mph.

“The Airworthiness Certificate is a green light for us to expand our U.S. footprint,” AIR CEO and co-founder Rani Plaut said in a statement. 

Matthew Smith, the company’s director of airworthiness and certification, added that working with the FAA “has been instrumental” in progressing toward safe integration of electric aviation in U.S. airspace.

The milestone follows several recent steps by AIR, including a $23 million Series A funding round, a 32,000-square-foot production facility, and participation in the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program. The company said it is preparing deliveries of 15 uncrewed cargo aircraft in the next year while advancing more than 2,500 preorders for the piloted model. 

AIR also cited the FAA’s recent MOSAIC ruling, which expands Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) certification standards to include powered-lift aircraft, as a key step toward its aim of becoming the first eVTOL original equipment manufacturer to achieve light-sport aircraft certification.