Eve, Microflite and HeliSpirit plan to bring UAM services to Melbourne, WA

Brazilian company Eve UAM, LLC, a subsidiary of Embraer S.A, has announced partnerships with two Australian firms to start up eVTOL services in Melbourne and Western Australia operated by up to 90 eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft.

At last weeks’ Singapore Air Show Eve and Microflite, one of Australia’s largest helicopter operators, announced an order for up to 40 low-noise zero-emission eVTOLs to start a new electric UAM (Urban Air Mobility) service in Melbourne from 2026.

Microflite and Eve plan to begin their partnership using helicopters to prove the concept and validate parameters that will apply to future eVTOL operations. This partnership also aims to develop new services and procedures that will create a safe and scalable operating environment for eVTOL operations together with communities and other industry stakeholders.

Eve also announced a partnership with long-established WA firm HeliSpirit to operate up to 50 eVTOLs starting in 2026. HeliSpirit and its sister company Aviair operate more than 50 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft serving WA tourism sites in the Kimberley, south-west and greater Perth regions.

“After working closely with Eve over the past few months, we have identified a network of potential routes and we look forward to working with commercial partners and communities to prioritize these routes and trial selected operations with our existing fleet,” said Jonathan Booth, CEO of Microflite.

“Our partnership with Microflite will see progressive commencement of carbon-neutral operations in the lead-up to first deliveries of zero-emission aircraft in 2026. We look forward to learning together and building safe and scalable operations with the support of local communities,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve.

“Eve’s eVTOL technology is well-aligned with our business model and desire to be at the forefront of carbon-neutral solutions for the aviation industry,” according to HeliSpirit’s managing director, Michael McConachy. “The low-noise footprint of the aircraft makes them particularly well-suited to operations in sensitive natural settings, including national parks and World Heritage-listed areas, as well as for urban transfers providing quick and efficient solutions for both business and tourism travellers.”