During an event at Virginia Regional Airport in Manassas, the company explained how it intends to bring a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft into commercial service in 2028.
KinectAir says that its network of Part 135 operators could jointly acquire and operate up to 30 of the nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft, which need just 300 feet to takeoff and land.
Under a Strategic Funding Increase, the Afrwerx innovation unit is making up to $85 million available to support the Virginia-based start-up's efforts to build and fly a full-scale preproduction model.
The operator signed a letter of intent to add 32 of Electra's eSTOL aircraft to its private charter fleet to serve customers mainly in Europe and Latin America.
The new operator says the model's short-takeoff-and-landing capability and range of 800 miles will mean it can reach anywhere in Korea from its base at Seongnam City, near the capital, Seoul.
The U.S. company is completing development of the hybrid-electric powertrain it intends to fly on a two-seat technology demonstrator by the end of 2022, en route to type certification in 2026.
Singapore-based Yugo offers charter flights in aircraft flown by partner operators, including on business jets, and now plans to add Electra's eSTOL aircraft to its inventory.