EmbraerX and Elroy Air to collaborate on unmanned air cargo

EmbraerX, Embraer’s disruptive business subsidiary, has announced its expansion into the commercial air cargo market, via a collaboration agreement with Elroy Air at CES 2020.

This collaboration will allow the companies to accelerate the unmanned air cargo market worldwide, leveraging Embraer’s 50 years of industry experience with Elroy Air’s bold new developments in autonomous aircraft systems.

“In order to stay the course of creating solutions that benefit humanity at large, we believe the cargo market is prime for an autonomous aircraft,” said Antonio Campello, President & CEO, EmbraerX. “Booming eCommerce is forcing the cargo market to grow and seek new solutions, creating a distinct need for more flexibility. Our holistic approach to accelerating this market will include working with Elroy Air and its Chaparral system, capable of delivering cargo (250-500 lbs) over distances up to 300 miles, as well as our work in associated services and air traffic management solutions.”

“Elroy Air aims to open a new chapter for the logistics market with point-to-point autonomous aerial cargo systems” said Dave Merrill, CEO of Elroy Air. “Elroy Air’s Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) cargo delivery aircraft, the Chaparral, will operate without airports or charging stations, and is optimized for freight with automated cargo loading and unloading. Our collaboration with EmbraerX will accelerate our path to deployment in commercial freight markets.”

Elroy Air's 1,215 pound Chaparral drone.

This collaboration is part of EmbraerX’s multi-project approach to further develop the air mobility ecosystem and create the conditions for people and goods to move from A to B in a seamless and affordable way. Beyond cargo, EmbraerX is engaged in several projects, including the development of an Urban Air Mobility focused eVTOL, a tailored Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) system and a fleet-agnostic business platform, designated Beacon, to streamline services.

EmbraerX is a market accelerator committed to developing solutions that transform life’s experiences. This Embraer S.A. disruptive innovation subsidiary is based on Florida’s Space Coast in Melbourne, with outposts established in Silicon Valley and Boston. It’s integrated with the Company’s engineering team in Brazil and dedicated to collaborating with global innovation communities. With an inherent startup mentality, EmbraerX is part of the Uber Elevate Network, which is co-creating the future of on-demand urban air transportation.

Elroy Air is an autonomy and logistics platform company developing industry-advancing autonomous aircraft systems and software to deliver cargo rapidly and flexibly by air. Building on the powertrain and perception technology enabling the hybrid-electric/autonomous vehicle revolution, its vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aerial logistics systems can operate outside of airport infrastructure and carry 250-500 lbs of cargo over 300 miles. Commercial cargo by air to expand delivery options, immediate aid and relief in disaster and firefighting situations, and rapid autonomous resupply for troops in the field.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 9th January 2020 | Issue #539