Hybrid-electric V/STOL vehicle developer Manta Aircraft Italia and medical air transport specialist Avionord have entered into an agreement to field in the future as many as 15 hybrid-electric long-range eVTOL aircraft derived from the Manta Aircraft ANN platform in medical services configuration. Avionord has also invested in Manta Aircraft and taken a stake in the company. Deliveries are expected to start in 2026.

The agreement enables a promising partnership that will foster the development of an ecosystem and a timely establishment of advanced air mobility. The use of the innovative aircraft platform is planned above all for the transport of organs for transplants, of equipment for re-perfusion of organs destined for transplantation as well as for possible rapid-intervention operations. The VTOL option, for example to connect helipads from two hospitals in different cities, coupled with the long range and low infrastructure requirements, result in new point-to-point capabilities and economic efficiencies in the regional range, as this solution represents a significant cost saving and noise reduction compared to conventional helicopters.

“We are honoured to be working with Manta Aircraft. After analysing the market and considering our time-critical missions, we see that the Manta ANN platform is today the only eVTOL offering a range of several hundred kilometres, which is useful for missions to quickly transport organs for transplantation from one hospital to another and avoid being dependent on airports and road transport. The ANN eVTOLs will enable us to reduce the transportation time of the organs, which have a limited life when not connected to the dedicated machines, using aircraft with a reduced operating cost," says Avionord CEO Eugenio Cremascoli.

Manta Aircraft CEO Lucas Marchesini adds: “We are very pleased with this partnership with Avionord, which has recognised the uniqueness of the ANN platform in terms of range, pushing into the direction of creating a real use case that will contribute to the rapid establishment of advanced air mobility. From the outset, the design of the aircraft was planned for a relevant range and speed in combination with the low infrastructure requirements and overall costs at a fraction of those of a helicopter, in order to be suitable for these kind of operations."

Manta Aircraft is developing a range of performance-oriented hybrid-electric long range vertical and short take off and landing air vehicles for regional air mobility and plans to begin certification of the first two seat, multi-purpose model ANN2 in 2023.