Embraer subsidiary Eve Urban Mobility Solutions and transport provider Blade have struck a deal whereby Eve will provide Blade with up to 60,000 hours of flight time per year on its currently-under-development eVTOL aircraft starting in 2026. Eve president and CEO Andre Stein said Blade will be instrumental in the deployment of the Eve eVTOL in the Southern Florida and West Coast markets.

Eve said it has reached key milestones on its path to certification, including the first flight of the engineering simulator last July and the proof of concept in October. At the same time, the company’s Urban Air Traffic Management project has collaborated with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority to develop the scalable environment needed to allow the operation of urban air mobility flights.

The U.S. agreement, subject to definitive final agreements, will see Eve, along with local partners deploy up to 60 aircraft across the country for the use of Blade, which will pay for the flight time accrued on the aircraft. Blade is a charter broker and does not operate any aircraft.

“Blade is aligned with our mission as they have created a platform that provides the user seamless access to urban air mobility, and now with Eve to provide an experience that is quiet and without emissions,” said Stein.