From rooftops to remote areas
With increasing demand and global infrastructure pressures due to urban congestion, electric vertical vehicles are rapidly emerging as a viable and scalable solution for modern logistics. Unlike conventional aircraft, these aircraft do not require minimal infrastructure.
The ability to lift and land vertically allows it to reach rooftops, warehouses and compact urban spaces, and is ideal for densely populated cities where real estate is scarce. It’s not just about speed. It is about redefining how and where logistics can happen. Rather than replacing traditional delivery services, VTOL aircraft complement them, filling logistical gaps in hard-to-reach areas or speeding up time-sensitive deliveries.
“Electric cargo helicopters (eVTOLs) will become an integral part of regional and last-mile delivery infrastructure.” Air CEO Rani Bluth expects. “As land networks become more congested and stressed, aircraft like AIR ONE, capable of serving a variety of use cases, will play a central role in creating agile and flexible logistics operations that can be deployed when needed.”
What automation knowledge brings to the electric aircraft and helicopter industry
While the electric airplane and helicopter space is filled with flash prototypes and prototypes, the real test is in scalable, affordable production. For AIR, a big change came in its partnership with EDAG, a German engineering company known for its decades of experience in automotive manufacturing.
“Partnering with EDAG represents a major inflection point in our manufacturing roadmap,” Platt explains. “Their decades of experience in automotive design, prototyping and manufacturing engineering allow us to deliver proven and scalable manufacturing strategies for electric aircraft and rotorcraft.”
The collaboration marks a shift in how vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are brought to market, not as hand-built aviation projects but as mass-production vehicles. The EDAG effect offers repeatable operation, cost-effectiveness, and ease of maintenance, all hallmarks of the automotive industry but relatively new to electric aviation.
“The application of these methods enables us to quickly go from prototype to series production with quality and consistency,” Platt adds. The goal is to create a platform that is as reliable and maintainable as any commercial vehicle, whether transporting goods across the city or to rural areas.
Engineering options support this. The AIR ONE production model features a new, streamlined airframe designed for ease of production, upgraded avionics, and an advanced propulsion system for safety and diagnostics. “We developed custom motors and batteries for this aircraft, which fit the flight profile,” Platt says.
New logistics layer
AIR ONE is designed not just for the skies but for the real world environment where you will be working. Its foldable wings and dynamic arms make it highly adaptable in areas with limited space, giving it a particular advantage in urban or last-mile environments.
“This modularity makes AIR ONE an ideal candidate for last-mile operations in urban environments where space is at a premium and rapid redeployment is key,” Platt notes. In practical terms, this means that AIR ONE can be stored in warehouse facilities, launched from roof plates, or placed in compact logistics centers – all without significant investment in infrastructure.
It is not limited to urban applications. The cargo variant, which has an adjustable 70-cubic-foot volume, is designed for time-sensitive deliveries where routes are congested or very slow. “We don’t want to replace ground logistics, but to complement it, by offering a fast, flexible and economical alternative to high-value, time-sensitive delivery in areas where road congestion or geography is a barrier,” Platt says.
The aircraft’s lightweight aluminum frame also strikes a careful balance between performance and cost. “Aluminum provides the best balance between structural integrity, weight savings, and cost effectiveness,” Plaut says. “They are well understood and widely available; these are key factors for shipping operations that prioritize consistency and uptime.”
As AIR prepares to take delivery of the first 15 eVTOL aircraft next year, the aircraft will initially target sectors such as medical supply delivery, emergency response, and regional resupply to hard-to-reach areas. “Our high payload capacity enables us to transport large equipment and supplies, which today’s smaller drones are not capable of carrying,” Platt says.
A world of limitations
In an era defined by environmental regulations and urban congestion, logistics providers are under pressure to find cleaner, more flexible delivery methods. This is where an electric helicopter like AIR ONE enters the frame, not just as a technological innovation, but as a true operational change.
“Vertical electric vehicles like the AIR ONE eliminate bottlenecks, reduce noise pollution, completely avoid road congestion, and address key pressure points for future logistics,” Platt explains. As political and market pressures increase to phase out combustion-based delivery systems, electric vertical vehicles (eVTOLs) offer a trunk solution that meets regulatory requirements and commercial requirements.
The response from logistics service providers was clear. “Customers are looking for a solution that is not only reliable and unmanned, but also modular and affordable,” Platt says. “We’ve reached the point where an unidentified ground handler can get a one-page summary of an aircraft, ready to unload or load upon arrival.”
With remote piloting and full autonomy on the horizon, AIR eVTOL cargo aircraft are designed for real-world deployments – high uptime, low infrastructure, and rapid turnaround. As Plaut says: “Once production is ramped up, our aircraft can provide a flexible logistics layer that operates independently of road networks. A layer that is fast, clean and inaccessible.”
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