German-headquartered startup Lyte Aviation has announced plans to develop a 19-seat variant of its Skybus large hybrid electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicle, which the company says will be targeted at business, corporate and private aviation.
The new LA-44 X PRIME is a derivative of the 40-seat LA-44 Skybus, the 12.5-ton gross weight aircraft powered by a hybrid-hydrogen electric propulsion system that includes four conventional turbine engines and a hydrogen fuel cell system that drives eight propellers attached to tandem tilting wings.
Similar to the Skytruck cargo variant, the new private aviation version will include the same design and dimensions as the mass transport-focused LA-44 Skybus, which is designed to primarily serve as a large air taxi performing high-density shuttle services in urban environments.
The major difference, however, is the interior, which can be customized to accommodate a more spacious and luxurious cabin targeted at corporate executives or wealthy customers.
“Within the business, corporate and private aviation sector, no one is currently doing what we are doing—carrying 19 passengers, taking off and landing vertically with no need of a runway, and delivering a true door-to-door experience for premium customers,” Lyte Aviation founder and CEO Freshta Farzam tells the AAM Report.
“When you think about this capability in the corporate sector, right now all we have are large helicopters that are noisy, expensive to operate and cannot carry bigger groups,” Farzam says. “What we are offering is the ability to carry up to 19 executives in a flexible and sustainable vehicle that can take off right from their doorstep … No one has offered what we are bringing yet.”
The new development comes as Lyte Aviation is in the process of completing digital design work for its LA-44 family, with a goal of developing a full-scale prototype and beginning flight tests within two years. Type certification is expected around the end of the decade, according to Farzam.
The company has also seen an uptick in commercial interest in recent months, including a 10-aircraft preorder announced in February by Korean operator Ghenus Air, which has also placed orders from advanced air mobility (AAM) startups Plana Aero and Traverse Aero.
In November, the company announced its first 10 preorders from Indian operator Vman Aviation Services according to the reports published in aviationweek.com .
Farzam said that she sees major demand for Skybus services across the Asia-Pacific region and other international markets, including the Caribbean, noting the need for island hopping and higher-volume urban shuttles than can be delivered by smaller air taxi platforms.
“We are in talks with 19 different cities in the world, and we think there are many more preorders to come in the months ahead,” Farzam says.
