Air Mobility Solutions: VoltAero and Sigma Collaboration

Farnborough, England, July 24, 2024 – The early development of advanced air mobility solutions using VoltAero’s Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft will be explored in a wide-ranging agreement with Sigma Air Mobility, opening the potential for a route demonstration pilot project, along with the identification of services for Cassio in its air ambulance version.

This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was announced today during a press conference at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, bringing VoltAero’s pioneering development of the Cassio airplane family and its company’s unique parallel electric-hybrid propulsion system together with Sigma Air Mobility’s expertise as a network operator.

The pilot project envisioned in the agreement will showcase the Cassio’s capabilities in operational conditions, while also fostering local network growth and defining use cases. Its location will be announced later this year.

Also identified in the MoU is the joint opportunity to develop industry technical standards for airport recharging infrastructures, facilities and the related technologies; along with the potential collaboration on operating models, economics and decarbonization trends and metrics to further adjust growth plans.

VoltAero and Sigma Air Mobility Partner to Pioneer Regional Air Mobility Solutions with Cassio Aircraft

“This perfectly-timed agreement enables VoltAero and Sigma Air Mobility to focus on realistic regional air mobility solutions with the Cassio aircraft and its parallel electric-hybrid propulsion system,” said Jean Botti, VoltAero’s CEO & Chief Technology Officer. “It comes at a time when the aviation industry and transportation sectors are increasingly skeptical about all-electric solutions that raise more questions than answers for the future of air mobility.”

Christophe Lapierre, the CEO of Sigma Air Mobility, added: “The MoU aligns our two companies’ extensive aviation expertise on a pragmatic and tangible path to market, validating Cassio operations and its infrastructure and ecosystem with a very local and streamlined pilot project.”

Lapierre added that regional air mobility represents a significant market opportunity in the 300-plus kilometer range, which has been largely under-addressed to date. Additionally, electric-hybrid CTOL (conventional take-off and landing) aircraft can more easily leverage existing infrastructure, while Cassio’s fixed wing design with its dual propulsion system provides a simplified path to certification.

Sigma Air Mobility was started by the Luxaviation Group, a world-leader in business aviation across operations, FBO networks and services. With its worldwide footprint and vast operations experience, the focus has long been on sustainability, and how to provide effective actions to achieve net zero ambitions in the wider air transport industry. Sigma Air Mobility has explored all angles of the upcoming Air Mobility industry, and either developed from core expertise and assets or built key partnerships with respective leaders in each value chain segment, so Sigma Air Mobility projects today cover entire ecosystem in an end-to-end solution.

VoltAero's Cassio Electric-Hybrid Aircraft: Versatile and Reliable

The Cassio electric-hybrid aircraft family being developed by VoltAero is a highly capable and reliable product line for regional commercial operators, air taxi/charter companies, private owners, as well as in utility-category service for cargo, postal delivery and medical evacuation (Medevac) applications. It will be produced in three versions:

The five-seat Cassio 330
The six-seats Cassio 480
The ten-twelve-seat Cassio 600

The parallel propulsion concept developed by VoltAero is unique: Cassio aircraft will utilize the ENGINeUS 100 electric motor in the aft fuselage-mounted hybrid propulsion unit for all-electric power during taxi, takeoff, primary flight (if the distance traveled is less than 150 km.), and landing. The hybrid feature – with the internal combustion engine – comes into play as a range extender, recharging the batteries while in flight. Additionally, this hybrid element serves as a backup in the event of a problem with the electric propulsion, ensuring true fail-safe functionality.

By integrating VoltAero’s patented electric-hybrid propulsion system into the company’s purpose-designed airframe, the Cassio aircraft will deliver an order of magnitude higher performance as compared to the current competition and provide significantly lower operational costs.

VoltAero will assemble the Cassio aircraft in a purpose-built facility that is well advanced in construction at the Rochefort Charente-Maritime Airport in France’s Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.