United Airlines has invested $15 million in Eve Air Mobility, a subsidiary of Embraer, and a conditional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat electric aircraft along with 200 options.
Eve Air Mobility’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design features conventional fixed wings, rotors and pushers, offering a practical and intuitive lift-plus-cruise design. It has a range of 60 miles and noise levels that are 90% lower than the conventional aircraft.
The first deliveries are expected in 2026.
Once the eVTOLs enter service, the fleet will be serviced by Eve Air Mobility’s service and support operations. United Airlines also joined a consortium led by Eve Air Mobility that will simulate urban air mobility (UAM) operations in Chicago.
"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."
United Airlines aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 without traditional offsets. It was the first major U.S. airline to set up a corporate venture fund – the United Airlines Ventures – to help it achieve its sustainability goals.
"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. 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.”
United Airlines and Eve Air Mobility will work on future projects, including the development and application of Eve's aircraft and the UAM ecosystem.
Eve Air Mobility is also creating an air traffic management solution for the UAM industry.
