As interest in advanced air mobility grows across Africa, Eve Air Mobility says the real hurdle is creating a maintenance and support ecosystem ready to sustain operations when aircraft arrive.
Eve, the Embraer-backed advanced air mobility (AAM) developer, says Africa’s rapid urban population growth and constrained ground infrastructure are creating long-term demand for AAM. However, the company argues that deployment of electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft will hinge on early investment in MRO capability, workforce training and regulatory alignment—well ahead of fleet entry.
“Before operations begin, essential infrastructure includes certified maintenance facilities, spare parts logistics, trained technicians and digital health-monitoring systems,” says Luiz Mauad, vice president of services, operations solutions, strategic design and ecosystem at Eve. He tells Aviation Week that Africa’s infrastructure limitations reinforce the need for scalable support models that can be introduced alongside early operations, particularly in regions where connectivity between cities and airports is a key use case.
Eve’s Global Market Outlook positions Africa as a use-case-driven market, with early eVTOL activity likely in busy city corridors and airport-city routes. For instance, the company says a car ride from Pretoria to Johannesburg “can easily take more than 1.5 hr.,” while an eVTOL could make the trip in around 20 min., and this is only expected to increase as the region’s population grows by an estimated 30% in the next 15 yr.
For maintenance, Eve expects support capabilities to grow step by step as operations expand. “We expect a phased, flexible MRO model that combines centralized capabilities in major hubs with lighter maintenance activities distributed across vertiports,” Mauad says.
Battery health management is expected to be one of the most significant technical differentiators for eVTOL MRO providers. “Battery management will require advanced monitoring systems, predictive maintenance tools and strict safety protocols,” he says.
Eve is developing a health-monitoring system designed to provide continuous data to operators and MROs, supporting predictive maintenance and battery exchange processes. According to Mauad, MRO providers will play an active role in battery replacement to maintain aircraft availability. Following removal, batteries must be handled and routed in line with OEM guidance, including decisions related to end-of-life management or secondary use. This adds further requirements for charging infrastructure and compliant storage environments that meet supplier safety and performance criteria.
Regulatory readiness is another challenge. Eve expects eVTOL maintenance certification to follow standard aviation rules, but electric systems and digital maintenance tools will add extra complexity.
“One of the pillars of maintenance certification is establishing harmonized regulatory frameworks for maintenance and continued airworthiness,” Mauad says. Local civil aviation authorities should begin preparations early by aligning with international standards and working with experienced regulators, he adds.
According to Mauad, certification will involve “the added characteristics of high-voltage systems,” along with a stronger emphasis on digital technologies, data management and information flow.
Workforce development is another near-term issue. Eve expects demand for engineers, technicians, inspectors and ground personnel with skills spanning conventional aviation and electric systems. “Workforce development will be critical,” Mauad notes, pointing to partnerships with airlines, established MROs, technical schools and aviation academies as essential to building local capability.
For African aviation stakeholders, maintenance readiness—not the number of aircraft—will determine how fast eVTOLs take off in Africa. If facilities, trained personnel and regulations are not in place early, scaling operations could be difficult.
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