A subsidiary of Indian engineering giant L&T will develop an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxi jointly with Texas-based aerospace company, Jaunt Air Mobility.
L&T Technology Services (LTTS) says it has won a multi-year $100 million plus electric air mobility deal from Jaunt that has its design and manufacturing centre in Montreal, Canada. As part of the contract, LTTS says it will open an engineering and R&D Centre in Canada “for the next-gen electric aircraft manufacturer to provide engineering services for the eVTOL air taxi. ”
India's aviation minister J M Scindia had recently invited eVTOL manufacturers to come to India to set up manufacturing units and operate services here. Sources said the L&T-Jaunt craft could first have its pilot runs in the US and subsequently come to India and other countries. The US firm is learnt to have “taken an interest in India”.
Jaunt is rolling out a new generation of sustainable aircraft to meet the growing demand for faster urban and regional travel. These eVTOLs take off like a helicopter and transition to flying like a fixed-wing plane.
“These new air taxis will make it possible to travel more than 110 km in the air in 25 minutes or less, with trip costs affordable to the public.”
