United Airlines Invests US$15m in Electric Flying Taxis

[In The News]

DALLAS – With the first deliveries anticipated as early as 2026, United Airlines (UA) has announced a US$15m investment in Eve Air Mobility and a conditional purchase agreement for 200 four-seat electric aircraft plus 200 options.

This represents yet another large investment by United in eVTOLs, sometimes known as flying taxis, which have the potential to completely change how people commute in cities all over the world.

According to the terms of the agreement, the parties expect to collaborate on further tasks, such as research on the creation, utilization, and deployment of Eve’s aircraft and the ecosystem for urban air mobility (UAM).

The United Airlines Ventures (UAV) corporate venture fund was established by United as the first major U.S. airline and is intended to support the company’s 100% green goal to achieve net zero emissions by the year 2050 without using conventional offsets.

United has been a pioneer in the market when it comes to investing in eVTOL and electric aircraft, hydrogen fuel cell engines, and sustainable aviation fuel through UAV. A California-based eVTOL startup received a US$10m deposit from UA last month for 100 aircraft.

Image: Eve Air Mobility

Comments from United Airlines Ventures, Eve

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“United has made early investments in several cutting-edge technologies at all levels of the supply chain, staking out our position as a leader in aviation sustainability and innovation,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures. 

“Today, United is making history again, by becoming the first major airline to publicly invest in two eVTOL companies. Our agreement with Eve highlights our confidence in the urban air mobility market and serves as another important benchmark toward our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – without using traditional offsets. Together, we believe our suite of clean energy technologies will revolutionize air travel as we know it and serve as the catalyst for the aviation industry to move toward a sustainable future.”

“United’s investment in Eve reinforces the trust in our products and services and strengthens our position in the North American market,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve.

“I am confident that our UAM agnostic solutions, coupled with the global know-how we have been developing at Eve and Embraer’s heritage, are the best fit for this initiative, giving United’s customers a quick, economical, and sustainable way to get to its hub airports and commute in dense urban environments. It is an unparalleled opportunity to work with United to advance the US UAM ecosystem, and we look forward to it.”

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Featured image: United signs purchase agreement for up to 400 eVTOL aircraft from Eve aiming to revolutionize the commuter experience in cities around the world. Image: United Airlines

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