Startup FlyBIS partners with Eve Air Mobility, orders up to 40 aircraft

Startup FlyBIS (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) is looking to launch its urban air mobility (UAM)-focused airline service in 2026 using electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles sourced from Eve Air Mobility (São José dos Campos, Brazil). Eve Air Mobility was spun out of business jet manufacturer Embraer (São José dos Campos, Brazil) in late 2021 and is working with other partners, including United Airlines and Blade Air Mobility. It is also focused on developing a vehicle-agnostic UAM traffic management software solution, an aspect which attracted FlyBIS.

The two companies signed a letter of intent in December 2022, to collaborate on the development of eVTOL operations in Brazil and South America. FlyBIS will also purchase up to 40 of Eve’s eVTOL vehicles, reportedly increasing its backlog, reaching 2,770 eVTOLs if all options are exercised.

After starting operations in Brazil's southern states, FlyBIS plans to expand operations to neighboring countries and contribute to the implementation and development of Eve Air Mobility’s ecosystem. FlyBIS is backed by the Brazilian aircraft management company Brave Aviation (Caxias do Sul), which has a current fleet that includes Embraer Phenom 100, Piper Meridian and Cirrus SR22 aircraft.

In a recent Aviation Week article, FlyBIS co-founder and CEO Gustavo Zanettini said that Southern Brazil has many congested cities such as Porto Alegre and Florianópolis, which despite their relatively modest sizes compared to Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, “have huge problems with traffic that can be a real nightmare for tourists and for businesses.” He explained that FlyBIS is focused mainly on pure UAM and relieving traffic in underserved cities, as well as shorter, regional routes that can be flown within the 100-kilometer range of Eve Air Mobility’s eVTOL aircraft. “We’ve identified some routes where, depending on time and season, traveling 30 kilometers by car can take more than an hour and a half because of the traffic—so that’s very suitable for substitution with an eVTOL,” Zanettini said.

Eve Air Mobility has projected its first aircraft will be certified by 2026, despite the fact that no production-conforming prototype has yet been flown. As reported by Aviation Week, Zanettini said he is confident that Eve Air Mobility will meet its projections and that Brazil’s government and civil aviation regulator, ANAC, will enact and implement rules for eVTOL operations and vertiports in a timely manner that does not delay the startup’s own plans to launch service in 2026. “It’s really nice how Eve is allowing small startups like us to come in and be a player in this space too, not just the big customers,” Zanettini said. “We’re not just a client — we’re really a partner, and that makes a huge difference.”