The aviation industry has adopted the goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. New aircraft designs, infrastructure concepts, and legal frameworks are all coming together to create sustainable flight alternatives. Companies like Crisalion Mobility and Kookiejar are some of the youngest names working to accelerate this trailblazing process.
Crisalion Mobility has recently teamed up with a Swedish infrastructure company to speed up the development of vertiports and integrate their electric and unmanned aircraft, Integrity, into upcoming operations.
Kookiejar is taking inspiration from IKEA’s modular and scalable approach to create affordable and space-efficient vertiports. It’s supposed to use as little space as possible and maximize efficiency. This approach will undoubtedly make air taxi operations more accessible to a wider range of operators, which is great news for the expansion of AAM networks.
Also, the Integrity eVTOL looks like a promising aircraft with its comfortable five-seat cabin, short-range capabilities, and advanced flight controls. The FlyFree technology developed by the Tecnalia research group promises to make the Integrity aircraft easier to maneuver and safer.
Integrity is designed to be suitable for a wide range of operations, including passenger commutes, medical emergencies, and cargo deliveries. It promises a cruising speed of up to 180 km/h (112 mph) and will mostly cover short-distance routes of up to 100 km (62 miles).
Crisalion Mobility has conducted eVTOL demonstrations in the past, where their flagship aircraft flew with other unmanned electric aircraft at different levels. They offer a wider mobility ecosystem concept, not just limited to aircraft. They have developed a fleet management tool that is specifically created for autonomous electric vehicles that operate on the ground. The Spanish startup is focusing on enabling coordinated autonomous transportation.
CDTI Innovacion (Center for Technology Development and Innovation), a public organization linked to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, has chosen Crisalion to be part of its Innvierte program and awarded them €5.4 million. It shows that the startup has potential and is capable of making a difference in the industry. Also, Crisalion has teamed up with Bluenest by Globalvia for an AAM project that will expand beyond European borders and reach Latin America.
