Flying cars steal the spotlight at the world’s largest aeronautical show

First modification: 06/20/2023 – 18:51

The latest in warplanes, multi-million dollar contracts between airlines and their suppliers and the incipient push for electricity as a fuel in the air, are part of the novelties of the Paris Air Show, one of the largest and oldest exhibitions in the industry.

In a showcase of dozens of technologies that hope to open a window into the future, one in particular is gaining attention: flying vehicles, whose projects abound, as well as those of other vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

On the one hand, the automaker Suzuki Motor Corp. said it had reached an agreement with SkyDrive Inc. to manufacture this class of electric planes starting in the spring of next year.

Meanwhile, electric plane maker Eve, controlled by Brazil’s Embraer – the world’s third-largest aircraft producer – has not started production and says it already has an order book of about 2,800, after recently beginning tests of its futuristic vehicle. .

Voar Aviation, which would operate in Brazil’s main metropolitan areas and popular tourist destinations such as Sao Paulo, Florianópolis and Salvador, has already placed its order, although it is not until 2026 that Eve expects to begin commercial operations.

These prototypes are being displayed at Paris Air Mobility, a space in Hall 5 of the Parisian fair, by startups looking to showcase their latest innovations that they hope will change the way people travel.

Air travel accounts for nearly three percent of global CO2 emissions, but serves only a small minority of the world’s population, so the industry is aiming for net zero emissions by mid-century.

Municipal waste, agricultural waste, electric batteries and green hydrogen are some of the developments underway to achieve this.

With Reuters, EFE and AFPA