Paris Le Bourget Airport could soon be a maintenance hub for advanced air mobility platforms thanks to a new cooperation between Embraer, its Eve Air Mobility subsidiary and Groupe ADP.
The companies signed a memorandum of understanding May 17 focused on creating new maintenance capabilities for advanced air mobility (AAM) and sustainable aircraft concepts in and around Le Bourget. The cooperation will focus on supporting electric vertical take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft and Embraer’s future Energia project, which is exploring sustainable concepts such as hybrid-electric and hydrogen-electric powered aircraft that could carry up to 50 passengers.
Embraer Services & Support plans to move its Paris operations to a new maintenance building that would more than double its capacity at the airport. Aviation Week has asked the OEM for more details about the facility and its expected timeline.
Meanwhile, Eve will work with Groupe ADP to prepare the airport to support eVTOL operations, including establishing service and support activities such as training, maintenance and ground handling services. Groupe ADP will also be studying hydrogen infrastructure to support future operations of aircraft developed through Embraer’s Energia project.
“Eve takes a comprehensive approach to urban air mobility and understands that sustainability must be addressed on all fronts, including service and support facilities and vertiports,” says Eve CEO Johann Bordais.
Eve is not the only eVTOL developer eyeing Paris as a key vertiport location. Volocopter is planning to operate VoloCity air taxis during the 2024 summer Olympic Games there. AutoFlight, which also has Paris Olympics plans, is working with Groupe ADP as well. The airport operator is building five vertiports across the northern area of Paris, including at Le Bourget.
Earlier this year, Eve spoke with Inside MRO about its aftermarket progress. In addition to the new partnership with Groupe ADP, Eve has partnerships in place with vertiport and infrastructure specialists Skyports and Acciona. The company is also studying supply chain and spares best practices with DHL and plans to utilize Embraer Services & Support for its expertise in areas such as maintenance and training.
Embraer plans to break ground on the new low-carbon construction facility that will include self-sufficient energy features in 2025, says Marsha Woelber, vice president for customer support and aftermarket sales at Embraer executive aviation.
After the hangar opens, Embraer will move out of its existing 1,800-m3 (10,765-ft.2) facility that supports the Phenom, Legacy and Praetor fleets and return it to the ADP.
This is part of a three-prong expansion to Embraer’s owned service center network. It doubled its MRO footprints in Sorocaba, Brazil, and in the U.S. recently.
In addition to these service center expansions, Woelber says Embraer also has added a second shift to some facilities to accommodate aftermarket demand.
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