Nautilus Aviation signs contract to buy 10 eVTOL electric aircraft from Embraer offshoot Eve
A Cairns tourism operator is about to cast a $70m vote of confidence in the post-Covid economy with an agreement to buy 10 space-age electric aircraft.
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A CAIRNS tourism operator is about to cast a $70m vote of confidence in the post-Covid economy with 10 of the most hi-tech aircraft in the world.
Nautilus Aviation has made its name as Northern Australia’s biggest helicopter operator with the lion’s share of its business coming from Cairns.
It is set to buy 10 new aircraft that are not quite helicopters – a fleet of zero-emission flying machines that are poised to revolutionise the traditional fuel-heavy industry.
Nautilus owner, rich-list entrepreneur and Morris Group CEO Chris Morris, has signed a partnership to aerospace giant Embraer Group offshoot Eve Air Mobility to introduce the new aircraft with flights to take off by 2026.
It is understood the electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) machines cost about $7 million apiece – and the first ones off the factory floor will be stationed in Cairns.
“This partnership is an exciting development for Morris Group and Nautilus Aviation,” Mr Morris said.
“We believe economic success and environmental sustainability go hand-in-hand and aim to strengthen and enrich the environments in which we work.
“Eve’s eVTOL technology will integrate seamlessly into our operations to deliver a range of exciting zero-emission tourism experiences.”
Eve Air Mobility has big plans for the industry and is initially launching piloted aircraft with the intention of evolving to autonomous machines.
It dovetails perfectly into Nautilus’s goal of making all of its Great Barrier Reef scenic flights coming from electric aviation, in line with the wider Morris Group’s 2030 zero-emissions target.
Nautilus CEO Aaron Finn said it had been difficult to avoid the biggest impact of greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fuel in helicopters, despite the company having had an advanced eco-tourism certification for eight years.
“This will allow us to provide emission-free and quiet tours over the Great Barrier Reef, providing an unmatched eco experience to our customers.” he said.
Nautilus has been on a growth surge in recent years, and now operates from an extensive network of bases spanning Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville, Darwin and Horn Island in the Torres Strait.
Last year it bought GBR Helicopters from ASX-listed Experience Co for about $17.5m.
Experience Co had spent $19.6m buying the company just two years earlier.
FAQs
Who is Chris Morris?
The rich-lister founder of ASX Top-50 global company of Computershare now operates a network of businesses across the tourism, hospitality, renewable energy, finance, technology and aviation sectors. His net worth was estimated at $760m in 2019, according to Forbes. Some of his assets in North Queensland include Orpheus Island Resort, The Ville casino in Townsville and Mount Mulligan Station.
What is Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions?
A a new independent company founded by aerospace giant Embraer dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem. Its human-centred, eVTOL design represents a simple and intuitive design that has continued to reach development milestones, including the first flight of the proof of concept aircraft in October 2020.
What is Embraer?
A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets aircraft, systems and maintains an extensive in-service support capability for operators around the world. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8000 aircraft.
On average, about every 10 seconds, an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year.
What is an eVTOL aircraft?
Electrical vertical takeoff and landing aircraft – a new generation of zero-emission flying machines that are set to revolutionise the aviation industry.
Originally published as Nautilus Aviation signs contract to buy 10 eVTOL electric aircraft from Embraer offshoot Eve
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