Ends Their Summer Shopping with Purchase of 4-Seater Air Taxis
United Airlines announced a $15 million investment in Eve Air Mobility, with a conditional purchase agreement for 200 of the marque's 4-seater eVTOL aircraft.
The deal includes an option for 200 more aircraft, with the initial deliveries expected to take place in 2026. The Eve aircraft are intended to become flying taxis for united, sustainable, short range commuters that will allow the airline to start laying the groundwork for the impending urban air mobility ecosystem.
As part of that effort, United has been fairly involved in a number of new aviation systems throughout the burgeoning industry, being the first major airline to create a corporate venture fund to specifically support green aeronautical companies. Their overarching goal company-wide is to reach net zero emissions by 2050, not a very outlandish target on its own, but United intends to play the game on "hard mode" and reach it without relying on any traditional offsets. As such, they've tapped into a handful of green tech including electric aircraft, hydrogen fuel cell systems, and sustainable aviation fuel. Prior to the Eve deal, United gave a $10 million deposit to Archer, a California eVTOL company, for 100 of their aircraft as well.
“United has made early investments in several cutting-edge technologies at all levels of the supply chain, staking out our position as a leader in aviation sustainability and innovation,” said Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures, the investment apparatus used to support such endeavors. “Today, United is making history again, by becoming the first major airline to publicly invest in two eVTOL companies. Our agreement with Eve highlights our confidence in the urban air mobility market and serves as another important benchmark toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – without using traditional offsets. Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionize air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future.”
“United’s investment in Eve reinforces the trust in our products and services and strengthens our position in the North American market,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve. “I am confident that our UAM agnostic solutions, coupled with the global know-how we have been developing at Eve and Embraer’s heritage, are the best fit for this initiative, giving United’s customers a quick, economical and sustainable way to get to its hub airports and commute in dense urban environments. It is an unparalleled opportunity to work with United to advance the US UAM ecosystem, and we look forward to it.”
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