BlackBird Partners with Bye Aerospace to Make On-Demand Flying More Affordable Than Driving
BlackBird, the world’s leading on-demand general aviation marketplace, and Bye Aerospace, the world’s leading electric aircraft developer, announced a long-term partnership to make flying more affordable than driving for trips up to 300 miles. BlackBird has agreed to purchase Bye Aerospace’s first 100 commercial 4-seat eFlyer 4s and 10 eFlyer 2s.
As the nation’s largest aviation marketplace, BlackBird will incorporate the eFlyer fleet into its network of aircraft, pilots, people, and local airports. The company’s marketplace currently provides the freedom to travel between 50 miles and 300 miles for much less time and money than driving, with plans to expand further, thanks to the Bye Aerospace partnership. BlackBird’s first eFlyer aircraft is slated to begin flight demonstrations in 2020.
“At less than $50 an hour to operate, the eFlyer 4 is the future of aviation,” said Rudd Davis, CEO of Blackbird. “When it is accessible to everyone through BlackBird, it will become the future of personal transportation.”
Bye Aerospace has developed and will soon begin certifying the world’s first practical four-seat, electric-powered plane: the eFlyer 4. The new eFlyer 4 aircraft will be FAA certified following soon after the 2-seat eFlyer 2 certification – already well underway with the FAA. The energy cost for the electric eFlyer 4 is four times less expensive than driving a conventional car per mile, three times faster, and requires no aviation fuel, resulting in zero emissions and significantly lower noise pollution compared to conventional aircraft. The affordability aspect alone helps answer high overhead and drives replacement of today’s outdated legacy general aviation aircraft fleets.
“Our goal in launching the eFlyer is to renew general aviation with clean technology that provides a very low operating cost,” said George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace. “This is disruptive affordability, with enhanced safety through electric propulsion. The eFlyer 4 is perfectly suited for the BlackBird mission.”
This partnership marks a major milestone for both companies, with Bye Aerospace striving to become the maker of the world’s first FAA Part 23-certified electric aircraft, and BlackBird expanding with more aircraft and pilots to reach more people nationwide.
