Eve Air Mobility plans US air taxi demonstrations in 2028 without pilot programme role

Eve Air Mobility, the Florida-based electric vertical take-off and landing developer majority owned by Brazil's Embraer, is aiming to carry out air taxi demonstration flights in the United States in 2028, ahead of certification by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The company does not qualify for the US government's eVTOL Integration Pilot Programme, which is reserved for companies defined in programme documents as not directly or indirectly owned or controlled by a foreign entity. The initiative, set up under the administration of President Donald Trump, is intended to help air taxi developers, including by supporting demonstration flights. Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies and Joby Aviation, which Eve regards as its main US competitors, are taking part.

Eve's head of airworthiness and regulatory affairs, Jose Agustinho, said on 6 October that the company had always expected to begin demonstration flying in the US before its type certificate is validated by the FAA, and that it would use an aircraft with a high level of maturity for those flights. Chief executive Johann Bordais said that even with programme access, Eve has no demonstration aircraft available, and will not have one until late 2028.

The company is nearing completion of the first transition flight of its prototype eVTOL and aims to freeze the design of the production aircraft by the end of the year. Its four-passenger Eve 100 air taxi is targeted for initial certification by Brazilian regulators in 2028, followed shortly afterwards by FAA and European approval. Eve says it continues to work on building up its US partnerships.