Hyderabad: Long-range vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft developer BluJ Aero announced that urban air mobility player Blade India has entered into a strategic partnership for purchasing 60 VTOL aircraft. This includes 50 BluJ REACH cargo aircraft and 10 BluJ HOP passenger aircraft.
BluJ REACH is an under-development unmanned hydrogen electric-powered VTOL with a target range of up to 300 km, a 100-kg payload capacity, and around 12-16 hours of uptime. It aims to facilitate same-day deliveries across underserved areas in the country. BluJ HOP is a piloted H2eVTOL being designed for economical, regional passenger travel.
REACH is expected to be ready for commercial rollout by 2026-27, while HOP is expected to be ready by 2028-29. The startup’s co-founders told TOI at the live demo of the flying capabilities of their prototype autonomous eVTOL in October end this year.
Terming the collaboration as a significant step towards commercialising sustainable aviation for regional connectivity, BluJ co-founder and CEO Amar Sri Vatsavaya said: “We look to leverage the globally unique policies of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and help in their progressive work in certification to expedite bringing indigenous innovations such as ours to market.”
“We are thrilled to couple our operational expertise with BluJ Aero’s cutting-edge aircraft to redefine the regional mobility landscape in India, enabling aerial access to regions without traditional airports and helping ease traffic at existing ones,” said Amit Dutta, managing director, Blade India.
BluJ Aero is part of DGCA’s policy working group. In September this year, DGCA released its vertiport and VTOL policies. BluJ Aero and Blade India, who are part of CII’s Advanced Air Mobility task force, have been working closely with the regulatory authorities to ensure compliance and certification towards commercialisation
