American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic Make Multi-Billion Dollar Bet on Electric Aircraft
Skift Take
American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic are the latest to make commitments for a new breed of electric aircraft. But with few more than glossy renderings and even fewer actually flying, the likelihood of this new breed of plane carrying passengers by mid-decade as promised is low.
The idea of a future where travelers can be whisked above traffic from downtown locales straight to airports where they can catch flights to anywhere in the world is gaining traction. No, we're not talking about helicopters but rather low-emission electric vertical takeoff and landing — or eVTOL — aircraft.
American Airlines, the largest carrier in the world, aircraft leasing giant Avolon, and Virgin Atlantic Airways are the latest to bet on this new breed of planes. American has committed to up to 250 VA-X4 eVTOLs from Vertical Aerospace, Avolon another up to 500 aircraft, and Virgin Atlantic a purchase option for up to 150. The combined deals are worth roughly $4 billion if the UK-based developer can fulfill its end of the bargain and certify the four-passenger plane by 2024 as pro
