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Australian eVTOL developer and manufacturer AMSL Aero has now joined the ranks of Greenbird as a founding ecosystem partner.
Greenbird is a growing industry collaboration platform focused on supporting the establishment of advanced air mobility (AAM) solutions – or air taxis – in Australia.
After the recent addition of Archerfield Airport, Griffith University and Aviation Projects to the Greenbird ranks, AMSL Aero is the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) manufacturer to join the platform.
Since it was founded in 2017, AMSL Aero has been hard at work developing its Vertiia eVTOL aircraft.
Vertiia is jointly powered by an electric battery and hydrogen and can travel distances of up to 1,000 kilometres, making it one of the most durable eVTOLs currently in development, along with among the most efficient.
The six-seater Vertiia also boasts high levels of autonomy, according to AMSL Aero, and is planned to soar through Australian skies in the coming years.
The company is already highly regarded in the Australian industry, after ASML Aero was awarded $950,000 by the NSW state government in July 2020, in order to develop a testing facility for its eVTOL vehicles at Narromine Aerodrome, near Dubbo.
Greenbird managing director Sara Hales said the consortium is “pleased” to welcome an Australian aircraft manufacturer to the growing industry collaboration.
“AMSL Aero will contribute significantly to our understanding of the regulatory framework for aircraft certification and continuing airworthiness,” she said.
“Aircraft safety is critical to establishing community acceptance of AAM operations, and AMSL Aero’s vision to build a safe aircraft aligns closely with our values and vision for a robust and safe AAM ecosystem in Australia.”
Chief executive officer of AMSL Aero and inventor of Vertiia, Andrew Moore said, “We are excited to be collaborating with Greenbird on the future of AAM in Australia.
“Greenbird provides a network of experienced aviation leaders across the private and public sectors, who are committed, like AMSL Aero, to enabling the sustainable aviation sector in Australia.”
The news comes just days after Archerfield Airport was also revealed as a founding ecosystem partner of Greenbird.
The Brisbane-based metropolitan airport, based 11km from the Brisbane CBD, will help propel Greenbird’s goal to see a fully functioning air taxi system in place in the Queensland capital ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
According to Greenbird, Archerfield’s location, situated between the main three proposed zones for Olympic and Paralympic events, presents a prime opportunity for Brisbane’s future AAM transportation network.
Greenbird was established last month by Aviation Projects director Keith Tonkin and AVISTRA managing director Sara Hales.
The platform will work collaboratively towards solidifying Australia’s Queensland-based AAM market by attracting investment into the sector and working with government and regulators to create safe air taxi operations.
Other local and global industry leaders, including Griffith University, Aviator Group, Nautilus Aviation and UK-based Skyports, have also jumped onboard the Greenbird project.
“With the upcoming 2032 Olympics, there is now a deadline and point of leverage for industry attraction,” Greenbird director Keith Tonkin said.
“If action is taken now, Australia could see the deployment of eVTOL operations as early as 2024, with early commercialisation in 2026, early autonomous operations in 2032 and full ecosystem maturity expected around 2035.”
