ANA HD is also looking at avatars that are more rugged and could be used outside. Photo: ANA
All Nippon Airways parent ANA Holdings is imagining a future where passengers can travel around the world without ever boarding an airliner.
The Japanese carrier is investigating technology that will allow a robot controlled by a human to set up a link that will allow its operator to see, hear, feel and interact with a remote environment in real-time.
Travelers would use technology such as haptic suits, virtual reality goggles and artificial reality to allow them, as ANA HD puts it, “to teleport their consciousness to remote locations”.
The ultimate goal of ANA is to expand its mission of connecting people through the group’s air network to new levels that create opportunities for the public, professionals and groups such as the elderly and those with disabilities.
It sees the general public shopping, enjoying sports matches and even fishing from remote locations while allowing professionals such as doctors, engineers and teachers to more widely share their expertise.
ANA’s robot hands have the motor skills to create meals. Photo: ANA
The company is this week demonstrating its vision at the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (CEATAC) this month using robots in different scenarios such as a kitchen, a school and a fish market.
The kitchen scenario demonstrates how a pair of robot hands have mastered the fine motions necessary to prepare meals while the fish market scenario will allow people in Tokyo to fish remotely in the Southern Japanese island of Kyushu.
The company took it plans a step further Monday by announcing a new platform called “avatar-in” was scheduled for release in April 2020 and would be tested with a small avatar robot called “newme”.
Each newme has the ability to transmit high definition 2K video that will allow users to see and interact with the robot’s surroundings.
The robots also have customizable body accessories for a variety of uses and ANA HD aims to deploy 1000 of them by summer 2020.
ANA hopes to deploy 1000 “newme”robots by summer 2020. Photo: ANA.
“ANA HD is built on connecting people and Avatars have the potential to connect people across the world in a way that traditional travel cannot and is a continuation of our core beliefs,” said ANA HD chief executive Shinya Katanozaka.
“Our vision of a better-connected planet will rely on the latest innovations in haptic robotics, VR/AR and AI to transform the way that humans interact.
“By placing the world at your fingertips, Avatars will open up new possibilities and help reshape everything from business and education to healthcare and entertainment.”
ANA said it would collaborate with partner companies to create an avatar social infrastructure worldwide.
It has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Agility Robotics, an Oregan State University spinoff, to investigate the feasibility of a new line of avatars that is more rugged, resilient and suitable for outdoor use.
Air Tahiti Nui is a small airline literally at the far end of the world. The nearest big city from here is Auckland, five flying hours away.
When the question of fleet renewal came up in 2015 it was clear the five aging Airbus A340-300s operated by Air Tahiti Nui since its inception in 1998 were to be replaced by just four Boeing 787-9s.
That’s what the national airline of French Polynesia found to be the most suitable option for its extremely long, thin routes.
After all, the airline serves just three places non-stop from Tahiti – Auckland, Tokyo and Los Angeles. From there it connects to Paris — that’s the whole route network.
But somehow the intended order of just four aircraft ended up causing huge headaches at Airbus, Boeing and in the French overseas territory’s capital Papeete.
It’s fascinating to see how the clash of the titans in airframe manufacturing reached boiling point for this tiny order.
There was meddling of politics up to the Elysée Palace, the French presidency in Paris.
Two separate bidding rounds with both suppliers and two board decisions had to be taken till the airline was granted what it always wanted – four Dreamliners.
The background was that Boeing had lost a huge order by Delta Air Lines, which defected to Airbus.
Reacting to this, former Boeing Commercial CEO Ray Connor wanted to capture the next order of a French airline, at almost any cost.
“This is a volume small enough to do crazy things,” insiders who were present recall him saying.
In the end, Air Tahiti Nui apparently got the best deal ever made by Boeing for any 787 customers – just on the grounds of revenge.
Air Tahiti Nui now operates four 787-9s, two purchased from Boeing and the remainder leased from ALC. ALC’s boss, leasing guru and multi-billionaire Steven Udvar-Hazy, happens to be a great fan of both Tahiti and its airline. He made sure they also got a decent leasing deal.
The airline went to work with Australian branding agency Future Brand to create not only an enhanced livery with the local tiare blossom as the main logo on aircraft tails but a stunning new brand identity that turns heads on every airport and has rightly received several awards.
Just the deep blue of the fuselage, now adorned with patterns and symbols taken from traditional Polynesian tattoos, conveys instantly, even on a big airport like Los Angeles, where this aircraft hails from.
Photo: Andreas Spaeth
On board, the 787-9s offer 30 full-flat bed seats in 2-2-2 configuration in business class with a pitch of 60 inches, 32 seats in a very comfortable premium economy cabin in 2-3-2 layout with 38-inch pitch plus 232 seats in economy class, configured 3-3-3 with a 31-inch pitch.
Even the aircraft registrations tell a story, that’s how far branding goes at Air Tahiti Nui.
The last three letters of each 787’s registration have been chosen on purpose: MUA means forward, NUI big, VAA canoe and TOA warrior. So the hidden story goes: “The warrior going forward in the great canoe”. Quite sophisticated.
French Polynesia is home to 283,000 inhabitants spread over 118 islands and atolls, distributed over a very large area of endless Pacific equalling Western Europe in size.
Tahiti is almost fully dependent on tourism while positioning itself as a high cost, luxury destination.
Due to its far-away location, it receives as many visitors in a whole year -216,000 came in 2018- as Hawaii does in one week.
Its airline is fully dependent on hotel capacity on the islands, which is notoriously scarce and has even significantly shrunk in recent years with hotel closures.
“It’s our main goal to serve the tourism industry, that’s part of our DNA,” CEO Michel Monvoisin tells AirlineRatings in Papeete.
In 2018, Air Tahiti Nui carried 471,000 passengers, a slight decline due to unexpected heavy new competition, a glut of extra seats and falling yields.
Air Tahiti Nui used to enjoy a quiet duopoly with Air France on the route via Los Angeles to Paris, but then United began operating from San Francisco low-cost carrier French Bee appeared in Tahiti on a new route from Paris via San Francisco.
It is operating its brand new Airbus A350-900 packing in up to 411 passengers, seated ten-abreast in economy class and its fares are considerably lower.
The return trip from Paris to Papeete and takes a hefty 21 hours each way. Ticket prices start at about $US1150 ($A1,700), while Air Tahiti Nui’s offers start with a premium of at least $US220.
Photo: Air Tahiti Nui.
These lower entry-level fares have created a totally new market for Tahiti’s tourism with more modestly priced private accommodation of the Airbnb type being in demand instead of just ultra-expensive resorts with coveted overwater villas.
Still, Air Tahiti Nui is by far the market leader to Tahiti, flying 61 percent of all tourists to the islands. It’s followed by Air France (11 percent) and Air New Zealand (8 percent).
About a decade ago, Air Tahiti Nui had expanded its network to both Sydney and New York – just before the financial crisis hit. These two routes never reached breakeven under the circumstances and brought the airline close to bankruptcy.
With a subsequent focus on fewer and more lucrative routes, the carrier has been solidly profitable for years.
Recent news reports suggested the South Pacific carrier was mulling non-stop flights to Europe. In fact, the option has been evaluated, but won’t be pursued.
“With just 150 passengers on board, while having 294 seats, we could offer that on the 787-9 as the world’s longest flight in 18 to 19 hours non-stop,” says Monvoisin. “But that would be only viable if we had the time-sensitive business clientele ready to pay for the hours saved, but it is unthinkable on our touristic markets.”
Still, picking the 787-9s for the fleet’s renewal has proven a clever move operationally.
Compared to the A340-300s, the Dreamliners fly much faster, saving a whopping 90 minutes between Papeete and Paris.
The 787s also burn 23 percent less fuel, more than the 20 percent savings guaranteed by Boeing.
“And maintenance costs are even 35 percent lower than on the A340s,” enthuses EVP Operation Raymond Topin.
“The most difficult task of the transition was the ETOPS certification, only since October 2019 (do) we have the necessary permit to operate under ETOPS 225 standards which finally enables us to take the shortest route from Los Angeles, with Hawaii being the alternate airport.”
This means an additional ten to 15 minutes in flight time savings and while the path to paradise remains long, it is surely worth the effort.
California is the subject of United Airlines’ second jet designed to promote women artists and give them the sweeping canvass of an aircraft livery.
The Boeing 757 was created by San Francisco resident Tsungwei Moo and features California imagery such as sunglasses, palm trees and the Golden Gate bridge.
The livery was shaped by the artist’s personal journey: she grew up in Tapei Taiwan before emigrating to San Francisco 14 years ago on a United flight.
It also recognizes United’s Californian hubs of San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Photo: United
“It’s truly a dream come true,” Moo said.
“The vibrant colors, sunshine and subject matter make it California.
“I could never imagine one day my art will be displayed on a United Airlines plane which brought me to the United States.
“There are no culture borders in art and it doesn’t matter my status is an emigrant female artist.
“This plane has its mission now, to bring more joy into people’s life, connecting people and uniting the world through experience art.”
This is the second plane in the series, with a B757 paying tribute to New York/New jersey unveiled last month.
Designed by artist Corinne Antonelli, that plane featured iconic imagery from the two states including the historic Red Mill in New Jersey, the New York City skyline and the Statue of Liberty.
Photo: United
The Her Art Here contest asked artists who identified as women to visually represent either New York/New Jersey or California, two key markets for the airline.
They needed to combine the company’s mission with how they saw their communities.
Entries were scored by a panel of judges based on contest criteria and winners were determined based on a combination of judges’ scores and public voting.
The airline says that having their designs on an aircraft provides artists with a traveling canvas that flies on average 1.6 million miles and 476 cross-country trips.
Qantas boss Alan Joyce says Boeing is a fantastic engineering company and will fix the 737 MAX that has been grounded for months after two fatal crashes that killed 346 passengers and crew.
In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Joyce said: “I think Boeing is a fantastic engineering company, they will fix this issue.”
Next year Qantas will have a competition between Boeing and Airbus to replace the airline’s 75 737NGs.
Qantas is also currently evaluating the Boeing 777X and A350-1000 for its Project Sunrise for an aircraft to carry 300 passengers from New York to Sydney non-stop. A decision is expected by Christmas with Airbus considered the front runner.
“We’re working on the price of the aircraft and the performance of the aircraft and we’re nearly there,” he told the Irish Times.
According to insiders Airbus can deliver earlier and its A350-1000 is lighter than the Boeing offering.
However, Boeing has made Qantas an offer “it can’t refuse” according to Joyce. However, details are scant.
Boeing is offering its 777-8X which will seat 350 passengers and fly 17,220km but the program is delayed pushing delivery of the -8 out to 2023 at best.
It is suggested from sources in the US that Boeing is to offer Qantas its larger 777X-9 for delivery in 2021 to launch its Project Sunrise non-stop flights from New York and London to Sydney as an interim solution.
The US manufacturer will compensate Qantas for operating the larger 777X-9 with reduced payload to meet the range mission with just below 300 passengers.
Many ask what is the value of travelling first class, particularly when most business-class offerings have a lie-flat bed in a suite arrangement.
A recent business trip to Los Angeles offered perhaps a hint of the mystique that is first class as I used points to treat myself that one step further.
It wasn’t the use of the stunning Qantas First Class Lounge at Sydney, as I get that anyway being a Platinum Member.
No, it started with walking towards the first-class aerobridge to be greeted by Qantas staff who escorted me on board and to my seat, which was more like a small room with a seat in the corner.
I was now joined by a very select group of the super-rich and super-smart and I thought, “These are my sort of people”.
The truth was I was way out of my league but I had to play the part and try not to look totally awestruck by the opulence and attention from the cabin crew.
One of the first challenges was to fathom all the buttons that controlled my little bit of paradise.
Once settled, I found myself celebrity watching. Who would join me in the high life at the very pointy end?
I recognized at least three high flyers but now being a member of the first-class society, my lips are sealed.
I chatted with one, who was a bit of an aviation tragic like me, but I can’t divulge any more details. All I can relate is the feeling of exclusivity and privacy — this is what first class is all about and, of course, the food and wine.
I was so impressed by the selections on offer.
Whereas in business class you may like two of the four offerings, this first-class menu was just that, with every dish mouthwatering.
Qantas only has first class on its 12 A380s and these serve London via Singapore, LA, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.
The airline is undertaking an upgrade of its A380s and first-class gets a facelift.
Revamped upstairs lounge for first and business class passengers
The 14 first-class suites have new contoured cushioning, seat finishes and a bigger, higher resolution entertainment screen. Subtle but very nice and the whole fleet will be completed by late next year.
Qantas has retained its open-architecture first class but if you are seated on the window, you feel totally cocooned.
The middle four suites are more open but once you put your screens up, you hardly notice anyone.
Once settled the culinary extravaganza starts.
Charles Heidsieck Blanc De Millenaires 2004 Champagne and warm olives to keep you company as you grapple with looking the part while trying to look as if you know how everything works. I think I got away with it.
The attention from the cabin crew is almost overwhelming but with a ratio of about one staff to three passengers, it’s not surprising.
After take-off, drinks and canapeés, followed by starters.
No less than five starters that range from the “safe” spinach and broccoli soup with creème fraiche and coriander to the more adventurous indigenous-inspired tasting plate with Woodside green ant goat’s cheese, prosciutto, Davidson plum pickles, and spiced bush tomato relish.
I opted for somewhere in between with grilled Sri Lankan chicken skewers. Magnificent!
Wine? Heemskerk Riesling 2007 from Tasmania was superb.
The main course was again five choices; seared blue eye, poached snapper, spicy eggplant, tea-smoked Bbundarra pork or Rockpool Bar & Grill-style Cape Grim beef.
The snapper I chose would have impressed the harshest food critics. It was poached in garam masala with fin egg noddles and snow peas.
To finish, more indulgence. A selection of cheeses followed by Affogato with Maggie Beer burnt fig honeycomb and caramel ice cream with macadamia biscotti and Muscat.
And during the night what is better than a pot of tea while discovering the great British TV series Morse….only 25 years late!
Breakfast was another feast but it also signaled the end of my journey with the stars.
I chose Brookfield and wild berry granola with Davidson plum, cherries, blueberries, pecans, almonds, and Australian bush honey followed by scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. Just right!
First-class on Qantas is just that — first class. For 12 hours I felt like a king, I didn’t want to sleep, although the bed was so comfortable, I lost six hours.
If ever there was a reason to accumulate frequent flyer points, this is it. Just once, treat yourself and someone you love.
Boeing has removed chief executive Dennis Muilenburg as chairman in a move it says will allow him to concentrate on steering the company through the Boeing 737 MAX fiasco.
The announcement came on the same day a high-powered review of the 737 MAX certification process found faults at both the FAA and Boeing.
The global MAX fleet remains grounded after two tragedies involving the deaths of 346 people raised questions about flight control software and the way the new plane was certified.
It is not clear when it will return to service but US carriers, including United and American, have been canceling MAX flights until January.
Independent lead director David Calhoun will now chair Boeing’s board in a move the company said would allow Muilenburg to focus full-time on running the company as it worked to return the MAX to service, support customers and implement changes to sharpen the focus on product and safety services.
“The board has full confidence in Dennis as CEO and believes this division of labor will enable maximum focus on running the business with the board playing an active oversight role,’’ Calhoun said in a statement.
The board also plans in the near term to name a new director with deep safety experience and expertise to serve on the board and its newly established Aerospace Safety Committee.”
Muilenburg said in the same statement he was “fully supportive of the board’s action”.
“The board also plans in the near term to name a new director with deep safety experience and expertise to serve on the board and its newly established Aerospace Safety Committee,” he said.
The review was headed by former US National Transportation Safety Board head Chris Hart and included representatives from NASA and other regulators, including those from Europe, Australia, Canada, Japan and China.
It criticized both parties for the way they assessed and certified flight control software known as MCAS implicated in both MAX tragedies.
It was critical of the Boeing design process, the way changes were communicated as well as of the FAA’s oversight and staffing levels.
It also raised broader issues of increased cockpit automation and whether the certification needs to be modernized to take into account increasingly complex aircraft systems.
“As aircraft systems become more complex, ensuring that the certification process adequately addresses potential operational and safety ramifications for the entire aircraft that may be caused by the failure or inappropriate operation of any system on the aircraft becomes not only far more important but also far more difficult,’’ Hart said in a covering letter to the report.
The review called for rules applying to product changes should be revised to require a top-down approach where every change was evaluated from a whole aircraft system perspective.
“The JATR team determined that the Changed Product Rule process was followed and that the process was effective for addressing discrete changes,” it said
“However, the team determined that the process did not adequately address cumulative effects, system integration, and human factors issues.
It found some regulations were out of date and this meant some processes that addressed safety issues related to system integration and human factors were not applied to the MAX “or were only partially applied in a way that failed to achieve the full safety benefit”.
In looking at whether MCAS complied with system design and safety requirements and standards, the team was critical of certification documents submitted to the FAA.
“The lack of a top-down development and evaluation of the system function and its safety analyses, combined with extensive and fragmented documentation, made it difficult to assess whether compliance was fully demonstrated,’’ it said.
“The MCAS design was based on data, architecture, and assumptions that were reused from a previous aircraft configuration without sufficient detailed aircraft-level evaluation of the appropriateness of such reuse, and without additional safety margins and features to address conditions, omissions, or errors not foreseen in the analyses.”
It recommended that aircraft be assessed in a holistic manner with a system safety function independent from the design organization.
Other questions included the impact of the new design on operations and training and assumptions made by Boeing about how crews would react to MCAS as well as its decision not to tell pilots about the changes.
It found a decision to remove information about MCAS from Flight Crew Operations manual meant the FAA Flight Standardization board was not fully aware of the function and not in a position to adequately assess training needs.
It noted one of the assumptions used in Boeing’s functional hazard assessment for the 737 MAX —that a pilot would take immediate action to reduce or eliminate high control forces — was not consistent with the actions of the pilots in the two accidents.
It recommended that the FAA require a documented process to determine what information should be included in manuals as well as a review of training to ensure pilots are competent in handling trim problems.
Describing the review as “unvarnished and independent”, new FAA boss Steve Dickson said he was reviewing every recommendation and would ”take appropriate action”.
“Today’s unprecedented U.S. safety record was built on the willingness of aviation professionals to embrace hard lessons and to seek continuous improvement,’’ he said.
“ We welcome this scrutiny and are confident that our openness to these efforts will further bolster aviation safety worldwide.
“The accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia are a somber reminder that the FAA and our international regulatory partners must strive to constantly strengthen aviation safety.”
Travelers to, from and in Japan are again facing airline delays and cancelations as a super typhoon approaches the country with violent winds and heavy rains.
Typhoon Hagibis has prompted emergency warnings and advisories along the south coast of Japan amid fears it could be one of the most damaging storms to have hit the Asian nation.
The Japan Meteorological Agency expects the super typhoon, which is equivalent to a Category 4 Hurricane or higher, to make landfall Saturday and has warned houses could collapse in winds as strong as 216kmh.
It comes just a month after Typhoon Faxai left 930,000 households without power.
CNN reported almost 1200 flights have been canceled by Japan’s two biggest carriers on October 12, affecting about 190,00 passengers.
It said All Nippon Airways had canceled 490 domestic and 112 international flights while Japan Airlines canceled 513 domestic and 72 international.
Airports in the firing line include Haneda and Narita in Tokyo as well as Nagoya Chubu and Osaka Kansai.
Airlines are waiving change and cancellation fees for weather-affected flights.
The typhoon has affected the Rugby World Cup with games between England and France and Italy and New Zealand canceled.
“Based on the latest detailed information from the tournament’s independent weather experts, Hagibis is predicted to be the biggest typhoon of the 2019 season and is highly likely to cause considerable disruption in the Tokyo, Yokohama and City of Toyota areas throughout Saturday, including likely public transport shutdown or disruption,” the World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee said.
James Brown finds himself on a sticky wicket. Photo: Jonathan Mew/Twitter.
A visually-impaired Paralympian climbed on to a British Airways jet and glued himself to the roof as part of an Extinction Rebellion protest at London City Airport.
The protest failed to significantly disrupt flights and management said the airport remained fully operational throughout the day with just two services canceled.
Paralympian medallist James Brown filmed himself clinging to the plane and berating authorities about the lack of action on climate change and airport expansion.
The BBC said Brown spent an hour on the roof complaining it was scary because he hated heights, felt cold and hoped they would get down soon.
Police described the action as “reckless, stupid and dangerous” and arrested a second activist as she filmed the incident.
A tweeter, Jonathan Mew, posted a picture of Brown sitting astride the BA plane and joked “Not sure he’s got the right seat number”.
Another protestor on an Aer Lingus plane refused to sit in his seat, delaying the flight by about two hours.
BBC staffer Nicholas Watt tweeted: “Cabin crew calmly and very politely asked protestor to resume his seat.
“Politely but persistently he declined and proceeded to deliver his lecture on climate change in aisle.
“Some passengers annoyed, others listened to lecture with humour as cabin crew alerted pilot.”
Police said both protestors had tickets and were legitimate passengers.
About 50 people were arrested during the airport protest London City Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair thanked passengers for their patience and police for their professionalism.
Sinclair said he was working with police to ensure passengers late Thursday and Friday had a safe and secure service.
However, he advised passengers traveling Friday to check the status of their flight and airline before traveling to the airport.
An airport spokesman said the facility had already reduced emissions by 30 percent over five years and was committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The chief executive of Air New Zealand, Greg Foran. Photo: AIrNZ
The head of US-discount chain Walmart named as Air New Zealand’s new chief executive has vowed to keep the carrier at the forefront of the industry.
Kiwi expatriate Greg Foran will be returning to the Land of the Long White Cloud and will take the helm of the New Zealand carrier in the first quarter of 2020.
Foran, who grew up in the New Zealand towns of Hasting and Hamilton, said he was privileged to have been given the opportunity to grow an iconic and critical New Zealand company and brand on the global stage.
“I am an incredibly proud Kiwi and to be given the job of nurturing and building on the legacy of an iconic company that represents the best of our nation at home and around the world really excites me,” he said.
“Air New Zealand is deservedly recognized as one of the world’s great airlines and I look forward to working alongside its people to take it to the next level.”
Foran said the passion AirNZ staff had for the business and their level of customer focus was a competitive advantage on which he wanted to build.
“Air New Zealand is immensely important across many spectrums, from not just timely and convenient travel but also to tourism and the environment, community support and innovation, to name but a few,” he said.
“I want Air New Zealand to continue to be at the forefront of its industry across the world and to deliver strong commercial results in the process.”
Currently the president and chief executive of Walmart US, Foran has been responsible for the strategic direction of the retail company’s 4600 stores and more than 1 million staff.
He took up the role in 2014 and led a transformation of the business based on Walmart’s everyday low price, everyday low-cost principle that saw the company achieve multiple quarters of sales growth.
He is credited with making the stores cleaner and easier to shop and investing heavily in cutting costs on everyday items.
The Wall Street Journal described him as a “detail-oriented boss who worked long hours and often took other executives with him on a company plane on Saturdays to visit stores”.
It said he focused at Walmart on reducing inventory in stores, more consistently stocking shelves, improving customer service and cutting store labor to invest in projects such as online grocery delivery.
Foran joined Walmart International in 2011 after working for Woolworths in Australia and New Zealand and served in a number of capacities, heading both Walmart China and Walmart Asia,
Air New Zealand Chairman Dame Therese Walsh predicted he would be an outstanding leader of the airline.
“We are thrilled to have attracted a world-class Kiwi back home,” she said.
“Greg has an impeccable track record in delivering strong commercial performance, outstanding customer focus and in building teams that can take a business to the next level.”
Commentators in New Zealand welcomed the appointment.
What every rich person will want: a potential Porsche skycar. Photo: Boeing
The Star Wars universe of aerial freeways is going premium with sports car manufacturer Porsche now looking at the potential of high-end personal urban air mobility.
The car manufacturer has signed a memorandum of understanding with US aerospace giant Boeing to explore the urban air mobility market and build a prototype vehicle.
And judging by a rendering released Thursday by the companies, they’re not looking at another giant drone but the kind of sleek unit people will lust after.
Image: Boeing
The potential extension of urban traffic into airspace using electric vehicles has sparked widespread interest from companies ranging from Uber to Rolls-Royce and another famous automotive marque, Aston Martin.
A number of prototypes have already been built, although there is still a slew of issues to address such as airspace management.
Ride-sharing company Uber has selected three cities — Melbourne, Los Angeles and Dallas — and hopes to start flight tests in 2020 with plans for commercial operations in 2023.
A 2018 study by Porsche Consulting forecasts the urban air mobility market will pick up after 2025.
it predicted that flying vehicles will transport passengers more quickly and efficiently than conventional means of terrestrial transport and at a lower cost and with greater flexibility
Porsche says it is looking to enhance its scope as a sports car manufacturer and become a leading brand for “premium mobility”.
“In the longer term, this could mean moving into the third dimension of travel,” said Detlev von Platen, a member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing at Porsche AG. “We are combining the strengths of two leading global companies to address a potential key market segment of the future.”
The partnership will see the companies create an international team to address various aspects of urban air mobility, including analysis of premium vehicles and their possible uses.
Boeing, Porsche and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences are also developing a concept for a fully electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.
The companies say engineers from both companies, as well as Porsche subsidiaries Porsche Engineering Services and Studio F.A. Porsche, will implement and test a prototype.
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