After signing a non-binding agreement with lessor Avolon for at least 100 Vertical Aerospace VX4 electric vehicles, AirAsia Aviation Group outlined plans for a low-cost air ridesharing service in Southeast Asia on Wednesday.
Flights could begin as early as 2025, according to Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia parent Capital A, with Malaysian and Singapore regulators expected to approve operations far more quickly than those in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
He stated that the air ridesharing services would be bookable through AirAsia’s mobile app and supplied at a reasonable price, exactly like the budget carrier’s normal flights.
Fernandes told reporters, “We don’t want this to be an exclusive product.” “We want this product to be accessible to everyone.”
Last year, Avolon purchased 500 VX4 aircraft from Vertical Aerospace, with AirAsia, Japan Airlines, and Brazil’s Gol and Grupo Comporte taking 90 percent of them.
The four-passenger, one-pilot VX4 is one of a rising number of entrants in the electric vertical take-off and landing sector with a range of more than 100 miles (160 km).
The first VX4 test flights will begin in April, according to Avolon CEO Domhnal Slattery, who is also the chairman of Vertical Aerospace.
