Luiz Mauad, vice president of Brazilian electric aircraft maker Eve Holding, said the company was on track to begin commercial operations in 2026, and that getting its aircraft certified is the company's current goal.
Mauad said in an interview with Reuters that he expects that authorities will implement new rules for the aircraft industry in 2023, which would pave the way for certification in a few years. In 2022, Eve, controlled by Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA, started its application to Brazil's civil aviation regulator to certify its electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which has already amassed a backlog of over 2,700 orders prior to its production.
A milestone in service is important, but before that comes the certification. As reported by Reuters, certifying an airplane is always a huge challenge, according to Mauad.
Eve is confident that the robust project, which is backed by Embraer's expertise, will cost $540 million, he added, after a listing in the US and additional funding from Brazil's state development bank BNDES.
Mauad said that they have a solid base of investment to make their project, company and products viable.
Eve's investors include United Airlines, Acciona SA, SkyWest, Bradesco BBI, Rolls-Royce, Thales and BAE Systems.
Mauad said that the sector could go through a consolidation process because Eve still prioritizes working through its partnerships.