Supernal and Sigma Air Mobility Collaborate on AAM Market Development
23 July 2024
Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal, and Christophe Lapierre, CEO of Sigma Air Mobility, finalized their collaboration during a signing ceremony in Supernal’s chalet at the Farnborough International Airshow.
FARNBOROUGH, U.K., July 23, 2024 – Supernal LLC – Hyundai Motor Group’s (HMG) Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company – and Sigma Air Mobility – a Luxaviation Group company – today announced a joint effort to identify and develop targeted markets for future AAM infrastructure and investments, targeting key markets in South and Southeast Asia and potential opportunities in Southern Europe. The collaboration is intended to leverage the companies’ combined expertise to lead in the visioning, launch and scale-up of decarbonized and accessible air mobility networks in these regions, with Sigma operating Supernal electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and providing vertiport development and operations and related services.
Announced at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, the partnership unites Supernal and HMG’s expertise in eVTOL design and manufacturing with Sigma and Luxaviation Group’s global presence and extensive expertise in aviation fleet and infrastructure operations, training and technical services. Together the two parent companies operate in more than 60 countries, with HMG’s global presence in 42 countries and Luxaviation operating in 23.
Sigma and Supernal: Pioneering Sustainable eVTOL Mobility
Supernal is reimagining intra-city mobility through the creation of an eVTOL vehicle that will travel 60 miles and cruise at 120 miles-per-hour to meet the growing demand for efficient transportation options in urban environments. Supernal is displaying S-A2, its full-scale eVTOL vehicle product concept, at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow. Supernal will achieve commercial aviation safety levels and enable scalable manufacturing of its vehicles, aligning its development timeline with the broader ecosystem to enable operators to enter the market in 2028.
Sigma serves a broad base of customers with AAM solutions, recognizing aircraft electrification as a necessity to achieving net-zero targets in the wider air transport industry. The company plays a key role in Luxaviation Group’s unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship, as also demonstrated through its ‘Go-to-zero’ investment fund, expanded use of sustainable aviation fuel and the goal of full decarbonization by 2030. Luxaviation Group is one of the largest business aircraft, helicopter and private aviation terminal operators worldwide. Sigma draws from Luxaviation’s extensive operational expertise and footprint for its efforts in sustainable and accessible air mobility.
The Collaborative Vision of Sigma and Supernal
“The need for more sustainable aviation solutions is global, while specific transportation needs are local,” said Christophe Lapierre, CEO, Sigma Air Mobility. “Together, Sigma Air Mobility and Supernal can expand access to Advanced Air Mobility by matching our solutions with the markets where they will be best suited.”
“Supernal is building relationships with local government leaders ready to embrace innovative solutions to decarbonize transportation,” said Jaiwon Shin, president of Hyundai Motor Group and CEO of Supernal. “Supernal and Sigma Air Mobility share not only a vision for Advanced Air Mobility, but also complementary business goals to advance the industry.”
Luxaviation and Supernal formalize their collaboration with a formal signing at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow.
Under the multi-year memorandum of understanding, Supernal and Sigma will identify target markets for collaborative projects, align with local transportation needs and work with public and private partners and investors to establish the structure needed to build local AAM ecosystems.
