ABACE2019 to Highlight Potential of eVTOL Aircraft
March 13, 2019
This year’s Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2019) in Shanghai will underscore the emergence of electric and hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as a future means of relatively convenient, low-cost and quiet urban air transport.
Keynote addresses on both days of the show also will look at this emerging technology. The Day One keynote anticipates a speaker from a leading company in the eVTOL segment, and Day Two of the show will begin with a keynote panel on how urban air mobility promises to ease ground congestion and curb the need for more expensive highways.
Activity in the eVTOL sector has mushroomed, with almost 140 development programs now underway worldwide. In China, EHang’s 184 “autonomous aerial vehicle” has undergone several manned tests in Guangzhou City, including a flight with the deputy mayor. In the United States, Boeing recently conducted the first flight of its autonomous “passenger air vehicle” prototype, and Bell recently unveiled the design of its Nexus “air taxi.”
“The concept of urban air mobility has captured the attention of the business aviation industry in recent months,” said Mike Nichols, NBAA’s senior vice president for strategy and innovation. “Many of our members are looking forward to learning more about this hot topic at ABACE2019.”
ABACE2019, which takes place from April 16-18, is co-hosted by NBAA and the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) in partnership with the Shanghai Airport Authority (SAA).