Sigma Air Mobility, a Luxaviation Group company, is to identify and develop targeted markets for future AAM infrastructure and investments jointly with Hyundai Motor Group's AAM company Supernal, particularly key markets in south and southeast Asia and potential opportunities in southern Europe. Under a multi-year MoU, they will also align with local transportation needs and work with public and private partners and investors to establish the structure needed to build local AAM ecosystems. Sigma will operate the Supernal eVTOL aircraft, and provide vertiport development and operations as well as related services.

The partnership unites Supernal and Hyundai's expertise in eVTOL design and manufacturing with Sigma and Luxaviation Group's global presence and extensive expertise in aviation fleet and infrastructure operations, training and technical services. Together the two parent companies operate in more than 60 countries, Hyundai in 42 and Luxaviation in 23.

Supernal’s eVTOL vehicle will travel 60 miles at a cruise speed of 120mph; its S-A2 full-scale product concept is on display at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow. Supernal will achieve commercial aviation safety levels and enable scalable manufacturing of its vehicles, aligning its development timeline with the broader ecosystem to enable operators to enter the market in 2028.

Sigma serves a broad base of customers with AAM solutions, recognising aircraft electrification as a necessity to achieving net-zero targets in the wider air transport industry.

“The need for more sustainable aviation solutions is global, while specific transportation needs are local,” says Sigma CEO Christophe Lapierre. “Together, Sigma Air Mobility and Supernal can expand access to advanced air mobility by matching our solutions with the markets where they will be best suited.”

”Supernal is building relationships with local government leaders ready to embrace innovative solutions to decarbonise transportation,” says Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal. “Supernal and Sigma Air Mobility share not only a vision for advanced air mobility, but also complementary business goals to advance the industry.”

Sigma is also exploring the early development of AAM solutions using VoltAero's Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft, opening the potential for a route demonstration pilot project along with the identification of services for Cassio in its air ambulance version.

This MoU brings VoltAero's development of the Cassio aircraft family and its parallel electric-hybrid propulsion system together with Sigma's expertise as a network operator. A pilot project will showcase the Cassio's capabilities in operational conditions, while also fostering local network growth and defining use cases at a location to be announced later this year. It also offers the opportunity to develop industry technical standards for airport recharging infrastructure, facilities and related technologies, along with the potential collaboration on operating models, economics and decarbonisation trends and metrics to further adjust growth plans.

Lapierre says: “The MoU aligns our two companies' extensive aviation expertise on a pragmatic and tangible path to market, validating Cassio operations and its infrastructure and ecosystem with a very local and streamlined pilot project.”

“This perfectly-timed agreement enables VoltAero and Sigma Air Mobility to focus on realistic regional air mobility solutions with the Cassio aircraft and its parallel electric-hybrid propulsion system,” adds Jean Botti, VoltAero CEO and chief technology officer. “It comes at a time when the aviation industry and transportation sectors are increasingly sceptical about all-electric solutions that raise more questions than answers for the future of air mobility.”

Lapierre believes that regional air mobility represents a significant market opportunity in the 300-plus kilometre range, which has been largely under-addressed to date. Additionally, electric-hybrid CTOL (conventional take off and landing) aircraft can more easily leverage existing infrastructure, while Cassio's fixed wing design with its dual propulsion system provides a simplified path to certification.

The Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft family being developed by VoltAero is a highly capable and reliable product line for regional commercial operators, air taxi/charter companies, private owners, as well as in utility-category service for cargo, postal delivery and medical evacuation applications.