Martin Peryea, executive vice president and general manager of electric air mobility for the AIRO Group, is continuing to lead its Jaunt Air Mobility division toward success in the emerging world of eVTOL players. "The eVTOL industry in 2022 has demonstrated that the market for air taxis is indeed coming, and the regulatory community is facing the challenges head-on," he says.

In 2022, the FAA redefined the certification rules for eVTOLs to include the powered-lift category. According to the authority, the revised definitions represented an important step in making commercial air taxis a reality. In tandem, rules for certifying pilots for powered-lift aircraft and new operational requirements were also defined. More recently, FAA administrator Billy Nolen stated that the agency did not expect operations by eVTOLs until early 2025, and says: "At any rate, it won't happen until the safety piece has been satisfied."

"Entering into this market, having certified several aircraft, the design of the Jaunt Journey was based on bringing the proven SRC (slowed rotor compound) technology to market with a clear certification path as a rotorcraft," says Peryea. The powered lift does not impact Jaunt in certifying as a rotorcraft, as Parts 27 and 29 already address vertical take off and landing requirements. Regarding safety, Jaunt's proprietary SRC technology allows the aircraft to land via autorotation or by gliding in a controlled fashion should there be an unexpected total loss of propulsion. The pilot of the Jaunt Journey will be able to choose a safe landing spot and have complete control of the aircraft during descent. No ballistic parachute is required.

Jaunt is one of the most uniquely positioned companies in the eVTOL world according to executive director of The Vertical Flight Society Mike Hirschberg, who says: "The fundamental aircraft technologies of the slowed rotor compound have been proven over the past quarter century. The world-class team now has the backing of the highly respected AIRO Group and tie-ups with impressive global partners. Perhaps most importantly, there are already existing rotorcraft airworthiness standards for the FAA, EASA and Transport Canada under which the Jaunt Journey can be certificated. There's a lot of hard work ahead of Jaunt, but the company is well-positioned to meet its goals."

The company is very confident about the SRC system's technology maturity and its technology partners' ability to meet Part 29 requirements, which will also comply with the EASA Special Condition for VTOL (SC-VTOL) for 'Category Enhanced'. Compared to the requirements of Part 23 and Part 27, Part 29 requires that flight critical systems meet the requirements of the probability of catastrophic failure of less than 10-9 per flight hour.

Jaunt has continually moved forward with its unique aircraft design and market strategy among some of the best-known eVTOL companies such as Joby, Archer and Eve, according to the AAM Reality Index 2022 published by SMG Consulting.

During the past year, Jaunt garnered two influential business advisors in former Air Canada president and CEO Calin Rovinescu and Mitch Garber, a global technology and growth capital advisor. More significantly, Jaunt Air Mobility merged with AIRO Group Holdings, adding depth to its leadership and expanding its aerospace markets in avionics, drones and training.

Jaunt continues to make strides in developing the overall technology and systems capabilities of the all-electric Jaunt Journey. L&T Technology Services has begun providing end-to-end engineering support in structural design analysis and certification. On the military front, Jaunt has been selected out of 200 entrants for the US DoD High-Speed VTOL Challenge investment via the AFWERX programme. Jaunt developed three concepts that bring the speed and capabilities of a fixed wing aircraft combined with VTOL through its highly efficient, patented SRC technologies. The benefits of these unique technologies include minimal aircraft downwash for operations, overall acoustic signature reductions and lower operational costs with high availability rates.

From operators to infrastructure partners, Jaunt continues to grow globally. This year it has signed letters of intent with Vertiko Mobility, Mint Air and others not publicly disclosed.

Vertiko Mobility is a Québec, Canada-based company whose mission is to reconnect Québec's regions to its urban centres by building a network of vertiports spanning the province along with local large-city networks. It intends to purchase 71 Jaunt Journey eVTOLs initially.

Jaunt Canada president Eric Cote says: "We are pleased about our partnerships in Canada and are in numerous discussions with operators worldwide. The market demand will require many eVTOL companies, and the excitement builds for the Jaunt Journey as customers truly understand our technology."

South Korea-based Mint Air signed an LOI for 40 aircraft to serve the Korean air taxi market. Avports has also signed on with Jaunt's Access Skyways infrastructure alliance to support the integration of eVTOL aircraft with airports and the aviation ecosystem. Avports is an US-owned and based airport manager and operator.

Looking to 2023: "Our goals for 2023 are ambitious," says CCO Simon Briceno. “Expansion and growth across all segments of the AIRO Group are structured to meet our vision of building a thriving middle-market aerospace company. Our strategic path for the Jaunt Journey continues to be on course with our goal of certifying by 2027."