Eve Air Mobility has joined PRS Aeroportos, UrbanV, and VertiMob Infrastructure in a landmark regulatory sandbox led by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).
The two-year project aims to shape the country’s vertiport infrastructure and overcome the hurdles of scaling eVTOL operations in Brazil.
While much of the focus on urban air mobility (UAM) centres on the aircraft themselves, Eve’s Vice President of Customer Services, Luiz Mauad, highlights that the challenge is just as much about the infrastructure on the ground.
“Developing a robust network of vertiports is essential, with strategic placement being a top priority to ensure connectivity between high-demand urban centres and regional destinations,” Mauad explains.
The sandbox will allow Eve and its partners to refine key vertiport requirements, from landing and take-off layouts to charging solutions tailored to eVTOLs. “We will work closely with the partners involved in these projects, contributing with our technical expertise in eVTOL design and knowledge in operations to define vertiport requirements to optimise safety, efficiency, and scalability,” says Mauad.
A major factor in determining the success of Brazil’s eVTOL future, he adds, is public acceptance. While eVTOLs are quieter than helicopters, integrating them into cityscapes will require dialogue with communities. “By fostering open dialogue and addressing concerns about privacy or sound footprint, we aim to build trust and create a transportation ecosystem that enhances quality of life while respecting urban spaces.”
The regulatory sandbox provides Eve with a testbed to ensure that vertiport standards are not only compliant but also future-proofed for large-scale AAM operations. “The sandbox environment allows us to test and validate these concepts in real-world scenarios, ensuring the resulting regulatory framework is practical and forward-looking.”
This initiative also comes at a crucial time for Eve, which recently received final airworthiness criteria for its eVTOL from ANAC. The company continues working towards type certification, and its involvement in the sandbox could help shape the operational landscape these aircraft will rely on.
