Eve Air Mobility has given its new urban air traffic management (ATM) software the name of Vector. Vector is an agnostic software solution designed to address the air traffic and network management challenges of current and future advanced air mobility (AAM) operations. It is focused on fleet and vertiport operators, as well as on service providers such as Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP).
Eve is making progress towards releasing an operational version of the Vector software that customers can test and trial.
The Vector software is intended to allow electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to be integrated with other aircraft flying in low-level urban airspace, and provide the automation needed to enable urban air mobility (UAM) market scalability. Eve so far has 14 customers for the Vector solution, including fleet operators, vertiports, and airspace and flow management providers.
Eve said that, with Vector, eVTOL operators can make their operations more efficient, vertiports can manage resource availability, and ANSPs and other service providers for UAM can optimize the airspace and air traffic network for users.
In November 2023, Eve partnered with the fractional ownership provider Flexjet to conduct a simulation to validate and refine Vector’s capabilities under real-scenario conditions and to better understand the software’s commercial viability and applications. The simulation, which took place in the U.K., involved 18 flights across eight aerodromes, and exercised 26 different routes with alternative landing locations to test standby flight plan functionality. The team also tested departure and destination delays, flight cancellations, and in-flight emergencies,
Eve said that the simulation found gaps between current ATM systems and those that would be required to support UAM operations, including a lack of integration between fleet and vertiport operator systems to coordinate eVTOL flights safely and efficiently. The company added that it is prioritizing the development of services that address these gaps, including integrated flight planning, management of alternate landing locations, and conformance management.
Backed by Embraer, Eve is taking a wide-ranging approach to the emerging UAM market, including development of an eVTOL project, a global service and support network, and an air traffic management solution.
Raymond Jaworowski currently co-authors three of Forecast International's best-selling products: Civil Aircraft Forecast, Military Aircraft Forecast, and Rotorcraft Forecast. As a contributor to Aviation Week & Space Technology's Aerospace Source Book, he has authored Aircraft Outlooks, and provided input for the publication's Aircraft Specifications tables. Raymond has represented Forecast International at numerous conferences and trade shows, often as a featured speaker. He is a member of the American Helicopter Society.
