Latest news with #hybridelectric
Times of Oman
14 hours ago
- Business
- Times of Oman
Oman's new hybrid-electric plane to reshape intra-city travel
MUSCAT: LYNEports, the global leader in digital infrastructure planning for vertiports and advanced air mobility (AAM), has entered into a strategic partnership with AeroVecto, Oman's first hybrid-electric VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft developer. The collaboration aims to build an intelligent, scalable urban air mobility ecosystem tailored to Oman's evolving transport needs. At the heart of this partnership is Shuttle, AeroVecto's flagship hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft, engineered for short-range, high-capacity public transport within and between cities. Designed with regional climate resilience, passenger comfort, and operational efficiency in mind, Shuttle is poised to reimagine intra-city mobility across the Sultanate and the wider GCC. Under this collaboration, LYNEports will provide its AI-powered planning platform to simulate, design, and optimise a robust network of vertiports for Shuttle operations. This includes site selection, airspace modeling, environmental analysis, and transport integration — ensuring that each vertiport meets aviation-grade standards of safety, regulatory compliance, and scalability. 'We're excited to support AeroVecto in bringing their innovative vision to life,' said Rasha Alshami, CEO of LYNEports. 'Their commitment to solving real public transport challenges in the region aligns perfectly with our mission to make advanced air mobility infrastructure accessible, safe, and thoughtfully designed from day one.' Fahad Al Riyami, CEO of AeroVecto, added: 'Our vision is to make high-capacity aerial commuting a practical and sustainable reality for cities across Oman and the GCC. Partnering with LYNEports allows us to fast-track the planning and implementation of our Shuttle network with world-class precision and foresight.' The partnership will initially focus on feasibility assessments and integrated simulations for urban corridors in Muscat, Sohar, and Salalah. Long-term plans include supporting Oman's national strategy for green mobility and smart city infrastructure as outlined in Vision 2040. By uniting cutting-edge aircraft technology with digital infrastructure innovation, LYNEports and AeroVecto aim to position Oman as a regional front-runner in urban air mobility.
Arabian Business
5 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Business
Flying taxis in Oman: LYNEports and AeroVecto team up to plan eVTOL ports and routes
LYNEports and AeroVecto have signed deal to plan hybrid electric VTOL aircraft in Oman. AeroVecto's flagship aircraft, Shuttle, is designed to redefine public transportation in Oman and the wider GCC region. Prioritising passenger capacity and comfort, Shuttle is poised to transform how people move within and between cities, ushering in a new era of clean, efficient, and scalable urban air mobility. eVTOL in Oman Through this partnership, LYNEports will support the planning and simulation of AeroVecto's Shuttle network, ensuring that every site is designed with aviation-grade safety, operational feasibility, and regulatory compliance in mind. Leveraging LYNEports' AI-powered platform, AeroVecto will be able to assess optimal locations, simulate flight paths, and visualise integrated transport networks to accelerate AAM adoption across Oman. Rasha Alshami, CEO of LYNEports, said: 'We're excited to support AeroVecto in bringing their innovative vision to life. Their commitment to solving real public transport challenges in the region aligns perfectly with our mission to make AAM infrastructure accessible, safe, and well-planned from day one.' Fahad Al Riyami, CEO of AeroVecto, said: 'At AeroVecto, our vision is to make high-capacity aerial commuting a practical reality for cities across the region. 'We are excited to partner with LYNEports to advance vertiport planning and route optimisation of the Shuttle network, enabling efficient urban air transport for the masses.'
Globe and Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
How a father-son duo is leading Canada's electric aircraft race
In a tiny airport hangar outside Lindsay, Ont., Horizon Aircraft is quietly building one of the world's first hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Designed for search-and-rescue operations, tight landings, small groups and regional flights, Horizon's Cavorite X7 seats seven, including the pilot. It takes off and lands like a helicopter but travels at more than 450 kilometres an hour – more than twice the speed. The aircraft uses a hybrid electric engine, reducing fuel consumption and emissions and is capable of recharging midflight. In mid-May, the company hit a major milestone for the Cavorite X7 – a half-scale prototype – taking off vertically using its in-wing fans, then transitioning to forward movement. 'There's no other company in Canada that's doing this like we are,' says Brandon Robinson, chief executive officer and co-founder of the aerospace startup. 'In 24 months, we'll have a full-scale prototype ready to begin flight testing.' Mr. Robinson co-founded the company in 2013 alongside his father, Brian Robinson, Horizon's chief engineer. The Cavorite X7 is the sum of his 20 years of experience as a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot and his father's 50-plus years flying and building aircraft as an engineer. The father-son team is tapping into a burgeoning market. Canada's aviation sector has set a climate goal to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to net-zero by 2050. Doing so will require developing and adopting new green aerospace technology, including transitioning to electric, hybrid and hydrogen propulsion. According to Global Market Insights, the eVTOL market is forecast to grow from US$772-million to US$11.75-billion by 2034. But the eVTOL industry is still in its infancy, says JR Hammond, executive director of the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility, a federal not-for-profit consortium supporting the AAM industry in Canada. Currently, battery-powered electrification is limited to small aircraft and short flights. 'We don't have a lot of entrepreneurial solutions being developed in Canada,' Mr. Hammond says. 'Horizon and one other in Quebec are our leaders right now.' Given the industry's infancy, investors have been hesitant. In February, Lilium, a German-based eVTOL manufacturer, filed for insolvency after funding fell through. The company was considered a front-runner in the space. Volocopter, another German eVTOL maker, also filed for insolvency and stopped operations earlier this year. Horizon is taking a more grounded approach. Mr. Robinson says they've focused on building a hybrid eVTOL to capitalize on that transitional market, moving toward full electrification as the technology evolves. 'There's a big market gap here where [there are] a bunch of concepts that'll fly, 50 to 100 kilometres,' he says. 'Ours will go 500 kilometres.' The smaller battery size, which only accounts for 40 per cent of the weight, means it can carry more. Mr. Robinson envisions it as a lower-emission solution to a helicopter in some scenarios. 'If you're doing that mission from spot A to spot B and need to get in and out of a tight spot, you would 100 per cent buy our aircraft,' he says. Mr. Hammond says Horizon has found the right target market in supporting emergency medical and rescue operations. 'Today [these types of operations] are done by very inefficient old aircraft and taxpayer dollars for flying up to the remote North, delivering one passenger, a couple medical materials, groceries, et cetera,' he says. 'Bringing in an electric solution that could operate at one-tenth of the cost can radically change how we move people, goods and services across our country.' Horizon is manufacturing a full-scale version of its hybrid eVTOL aircraft at its hangar in Lindsay. The company has around 30 employees. 'We're an all-Canadian company,' Mr. Robinson says. 'We're trying to keep our supply chain as Canadian as possible and we would [commercially] manufacture in southern Ontario.' John Carswell, a former pilot and CEO and chief investment officer at Canso Investment Council, was an early financial backer of Horizon. As of 2023, Canso had invested $6.7-million into the eVTOL maker. Horizon is also listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker 'HOVR.' Mr. Carswell, an aviation aficionado, says Canada has a deep legacy of building innovative aircraft. It also has a legacy of letting good ideas fail. 'Their big challenge will be getting into commercial production. … It's not an easy thing to do, and it's a new category – aircraft are very sophisticated, hard to produce and hard to get licensed,' Mr. Carswell says. '[But] I think they've got a good shot at it.' For Horizon, the emphasis is on recruiting top talent. In February, the company hired John Wyzykowski, former head of propulsion at Lilium, as a technical expert. Its chief technical officer, Tom Brassington, also comes from Lilium. 'These are legitimately top-10-in-the-world folks that are coming to do some work, not to mention some epic Canadians that we've picked up,' Mr. Robinson says. '[They've] been in electrification right from the beginning and have world-class skills.' Horizon is currently in talks with partners, including defence contractors, a major helicopter manufacturer and the U.S. Department of Defense. Mr. Robinson says the company has enough funding for the next 12 to 18 months. 'But these are capital-intensive projects,' he says. There are also the technical hurdles it's still working through. 'There is a lot of patented technology [in the Cavorite X7] but we're proving it out at full scale,' Mr. Robinson says. 'This has never been done before. We're really excited about how it's all come together.'
Bloomberg
13-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Vertical Aerospace Develops Hybrid in Move Toward Defense
Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson explains the eVTOL company's plans for a hybrid-electric aircraft aimed at the defense sector, and why it is hoping to secure a strategic investor. Simpson speaks with Bloomberg's Caroline Hyde. (Source: Bloomberg)
Reuters
12-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Vertical Aerospace plans long-range hybrid air-taxi variant to widen market reach
May 12 (Reuters) - Vertical Aerospace (M000.F), opens new tab said on Monday it is developing a long-range hybrid-electric variant of its air-taxi VX4, aiming to expand into commercial markets including defense and logistics. U.S.-listed shares of the British electric aircraft firm rose more than 6% before the bell. Vertical's new variant is targeted to have a range of up to 1,000 miles - a tenfold increase from its electric predecessor - and can carry up to 1,100 kilograms, the company said on Monday. Air-taxi startups are racing to get approvals for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft on the growing demand for faster urban transportation, while also exploring new commercial applications for the emerging technology. "The demand for long-range, high-payload, quiet aircraft is growing rapidly - especially across defense and critical logistics," said Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. The move comes after the company announced a new long-term deal with Honeywell (HON.O), opens new tab last week to help certify key systems for its VX4 air taxi. Vertical said it intends to commence flight testing of the hybrid-electric variant in the second quarter of 2026, with certification targeted for 2028.
