Melbourne, Florida, June 24, 2021 – Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions, Inc. (“Eve”) and Blade Air Mobility, Inc. (“Blade”, NASDAQ: BLDE) today announced an arrangement for Eve to provide Blade up to 60,000 hours of flight time per year on its electrical vertical takeoff landing (eVTOL) aircraft, also known in the market as EVA (Electrical Vertical Aircraft), beginning in 2026 for use in Southern Florida and West Coast markets, subject to certain considerations.
Backed by Embraer’s more than 50-year history of aircraft manufacturing and certification expertise, Eve unveils a unique value proposition by offering a suite of products and services. Eve’s zero-emission and low noise EVA represents a simple and intuitive design that continues to reach development milestones, including the first flight of the engineering simulator in July 2020, and a proof of concept in October 2020. In parallel, Eve’s Urban Air Traffic Management project reached a new milestone in its collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to develop a scalable environment needed to host UAM flights.
“Blade is aligned with our mission as they have created a platform that provides the user seamless access to Urban Air Mobility, and now with Eve to provide an experience that is quiet and without emissions. The company’s platform will be instrumental in deploying our aircraft in key markets in South Florida and the West Coast of the United States. This partnership with Blade is the next step in unlocking the future of mobility in these key areas and marks an exciting time for both companies,” said Andre Stein, President & CEO of Eve.
Eve plans to deploy, together with local partners, up to 60 aircraft for Blade’s use throughout the United States beginning in 2026. Blade will pay for flight time utilized on Eve’s aircraft, which will be made available by Eve and other third parties. The deployment of Eve aircraft across the Blade network is subject to the parties entering into definitive final agreements. “Blade is pleased to partner with Eve, leveraging Embraer’s deep aerospace expertise to provide Blade with quiet, zero-carbon, electric aircraft,” said Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of Blade. “Eve’s aircraft provides ideal operating economics for Blade’s shorter distance routes, adding to our three other recently announced EVA partnerships which, together, can optimize service for Blade’s wide variety of mission profiles and regional hubs.”
Follow Eve on Twitter: @EveAirMobility
About Blade
Blade is a technology-powered urban air mobility platform committed to reducing travel friction by providing cost-effective air transportation alternatives to some of the most congested ground routes in the U.S. and abroad. Today, the company predominantly uses helicopters and amphibious aircraft. Its asset-light model, coupled with its exclusive passenger terminal infrastructure, is designed to facilitate a seamless transition to Electric Vertical Aircraft (“EVA” or “eVTOL”), enabling lower-cost air mobility to the public that is both quiet and zero emissions.
For more information, visit blade.com/investors.
About Eve
Eve is a new, independent company dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Benefitting from a startup mindset, backed by Embraer’s more than 50-year history of aerospace expertise, and with a singular focus, Eve is taking a holistic approach to progressing the UAM ecosystem, with an advanced electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) project, a comprehensive global services and support network, and a unique air traffic management solution. Eve is the first company to graduate from EmbraerX. For more information, visit www.eveairmobility.com.
About Embraer
A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive Aviation, Defense & Security, and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures, and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year.
Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service, and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Forward-Looking Information Is Subject to Risk and Uncertainty
Certain statements in this release may be “forward-looking” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the potential agreement between Blade and Eve, the proposed business combination, and the ability of EVE to deliver eVTOL aircraft in 2026, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on current assumptions about future events that may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guaranteed and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements. As a result, these statements speak only as of the date they are made and neither party undertakes an obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. Specific factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the effect of global economic conditions, the ability of the parties to negotiate and enter into a definitive agreement and realize anticipated synergies, the ability of EVE to obtain the required certifications to manufacture and sell its eVTOL aircraft, and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in the filings of Embraer with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
