SITA Joins Volocopter to Build Vertiports IT System

Air transport technology company SITA has partnered with German air taxi developer Volocopter to jointly develop IT systems for vertiports, a facility for eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft to take off and land.

SITA has also participated in Volocopter’s Series E funding and become one of the investors of the company’s VoloCity electric air taxis under the agreement. The two-seat VoloCity vehicle can fly at a range of 35km with a maximum operating speed of 110km/h.

SITA will contribute its expertise in air transport and develop operating standards for the advanced air mobility industry, together with Volocopter’s digital operating system VoloIQ.

In 2022, the company raised US$182 million in the latest signing of its Series E funding round. It intends to certify the aircraft by the second half of 2023 and launch initial revenue-generating rides in Paris and Singapore by 2024.

“Volocopter consistently takes a holistic ecosystem approach. Working in concert with our partners, we are setting up for commercial operations,” said Christian Bauer, Chief Commercial Officer at Volocopter. He said the commercial operation of vertiports involves various factors from infrastructure, maintenance, flight operations, IT, to customer services.

Volocopter received Design Organization Approval in 2019 and Production Organization Approval in 2021 from EASA, two prerequisites needed for obtaining type certification and launching commercially.

Sergio Colella, SITA President for Europe, said they are expecting the first commercial eVTOL flight in 2024 and making electric air taxis a reality.

In the latest AAM Reality Index introduced by SMG Consulting, Volocopter ranked second after Joby Aviation and is the second most likely eVTOL company to enter commercial operation.

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