(08 September 2022, 11:36 +07)
Airbus has partnered with Hiratagakuen, a Japanese helicopter
operator, to develop advanced air mobility services in the Kansai
region and beyond.
Hiratagakuen specialises in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS),
transportation of personnel, flight training and maintenance. The
company’s current fleet includes 14 H135 and two H145 helicopters.
Through this agreement, Airbus and Hiratagakuen
plan to tackle the challenges envisaged in launching a commercial
transportation service with CityAirbus NextGen.
As a major first
step, the partners’ joint project to organise a simulation of
ideal routes, concepts of operations and necessary equipment for
safe eVTOL flights in the Kansai region, has been selected by the
Osaka prefecture, with a demonstration flight scheduled for later
this year.
CityAirbus NextGen
The two companies will
use an H135 helicopter to test advanced navigation and
communication technologies for safe operations of eVTOLs in urban
environments, while simulating CityAirbus NextGen’s flight
configuration.
Mitsuhiro Hirata, Vice President, Aviation
Operation Division of Hiratagakuen, said, “We are very pleased to
conduct a demonstration flight in the Osaka-Kansai region with
Airbus for the future of mobility, using the latest H135
helicopter. We have been operating Airbus helicopters for many
years and highly appreciate their high safety, performance,
operational reliability and proven after-sales support. We are
aware that a revolution in air transportation is now approaching
in the Osaka area, and we expect CityAirbus NextGen to play a
central role in this revolution.”
In September 2021, Airbus unveiled its eVTOL
prototype CityAirbus NextGen, to explore advanced air mobility
technologies and bring urban air mobility services to life. The
company is also constructing a dedicated centre to test the
aircraft’s systems in the lead up to its maiden flight.
Balkiz Sarihan, Head of UAM Strategy Execution and
Partnerships at Airbus, said, “We are honoured to further our long
standing collaboration with Hiratagakuen by working on this
exciting journey towards zero emission flights. Their expertise in
commercial air transport and air medical services operations makes
them an ideal partner for defining the operational framework for
advanced air mobility with CityAirbus NextGen in Japan.”
There are currently over 370 Airbus helicopters in
service in Japan with 100 customers.
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