Airbus and Hiratagakuen through this alliance aim to develop advanced air mobility services in the Kansai region of Japan and beyond.
Airbus, an aerospace corporation that designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products, has announced that the company has formed a partnership with Japanese helicopter operator Hiratagakuen. The motive of the alliance is to develop advanced air mobility services in the Kansai region of Japan and beyond. Airbus aims to make this step a key addition to the company’s strong regional footprint and growing international network to pioneer the future of mobility.
Airbus and Hiratagakuen through this agreement aim to tackle crucial aspects required to launch a commercial transportation service with CityAirbus NextGen. As a major first step, the joint project of Airbus and Hiratagakuen has been selected by the Osaka prefecture, with a demonstration flight scheduled for later 2022. The two companies will organize a simulation of ideal routes, concepts of operations and necessary equipment for safe eVTOL flights in the Kansai region.
Mitsuhiro Hirata, Vice President, Aviation Operation Division, Hiratagakuen, said “We are very pleased to conduct a demonstration flight in the Osaka-Kansai region with Airbus for the future of mobility, using the latest H135 helicopter. We have been operating Airbus helicopters for many years and highly appreciate their high safety, performance, operational reliability and proven after-sales support. We are aware that a revolution in air transportation is now approaching in the Osaka area, and we expect CityAirbus NextGen to play a central role in this revolution.”
Airbus unveiled its eVTOL prototype CityAirbus NextGen in September 2021with with an aim to explore advanced air mobility technologies and bring urban air mobility services to life. The Company recently announced the construction of a dedicated center to test the aircraft’s systems in the lead up to its maiden flight. Airbus is also working closely with industrial and institutional partners to lead the development of urban air mobility ecosystems, as recently announced with ITA Airways in Italy, or through the launch of the Air Mobility Initiative in Germany.
Hiratagakuen is a Kansai-based helicopter operator company that specializes in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), transportation of personnel, flight training, and maintenance. The company’s current fleet includes 14 H135 and two H145 helicopters.
Balkiz Sarihan, Head of UAM Strategy Execution and Partnerships at Airbus, said: “We are honoured to further our long standing collaboration with Hiratagakuen by working on this exciting journey towards zero emission flights. Their expertise in commercial air transport and air medical services operations makes them an ideal partner for defining the operational framework for advanced air mobility with CityAirbus NextGen in Japan”.
The relationship between Airbus and Japan dates back over 60 years. More than 600 commercial and fixed wing and rotorcraft have so far been delivered to Japanese operators. Airbus is the biggest provider in the Japanese helicopter market with over 50% market share in the civil and parapublic sectors, and over 370 helicopters in service with 100 customers. In Kobe, Japan Airbus’ helicopter facilities offer a strong suite of helicopter products, training services and turnkey solutions across emergency medical services, law enforcement, electronic news gathering, and parapublic segments.
