AIR has completed night time flight demonstrations of its uncrewed cargo eVTOL aircraft, marking a milestone in establishing standard operating procedures for night operations.
The demonstrations validated the aircraft’s ability to integrate seamlessly with ground crews for loading and unloading operations.
The tests took place at a remote, non-airport site with minimal infrastructure to demonstrate the platform’s ability to operate in challenging environments with limited resources. Ground crews previously unfamiliar with the aircraft successfully loaded 550 lbs (250kg) of cargo and observed its departure via remote operation.
“Operations don’t stop once the sun goes down. We recognized early on that ensuring safety and efficiency at night is just as essential as in the daytime,” said Rani Plaut, CEO and co-founder of AIR. “We’re proud to have completed this rigorous round of nighttime flight operations showcasing that our eVTOL for cargo use is ready for 24/7 use.”
The demonstrations focused on verifying the eVTOL’s ability to operate seamlessly in both daytime and nighttime conditions while ensuring ground crews can handle the aircraft with minimal training. Following simple standard operating procedures, teams demonstrated the aircraft’s ability to integrate with any ground operation regardless of prior experience with eVTOL technology.
AIR’s launch customer attended the night flight demonstration and expressed satisfaction with the aircraft’s smooth performance. The customer anticipates delivery of additional units later this year as part of AIR’s growing commercial logistics operations.
The cargo eVTOL uses distributed electric propulsion technology and proprietary flight control systems to enable operations in diverse environments. The aircraft’s ground handling requirements allow rapid deployment across various operational scenarios without extensive infrastructure modifications, say AIR.
AIR has doubled its team size over the past year and expanded its product line to include both unmanned variants for enterprise and logistics applications alongside its piloted eVTOL for personal flight. According to the company, the piloted AIR ONE has secured over 2,200 pre-orders for personal use with deliveries planned after certification.
The night time operational capability addresses a critical requirement for cargo logistics operations that need to maintain continuous service schedules. The established standard operating procedures provide a framework for scaling operations across multiple sites and integration with existing logistics networks.
