Next-generation aviation company, Airis Aerospace, has revealed its plans to design and manufacture a zero-emission electric aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing.

The AirisOne is an all-electric, five seat eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft specifically designed for short distance flights in urban environments. It utilizes dual co-axial lift fans for take-off and a series of eight articulating thrusters for winged flight. The aircraft will have a high level of autonomous operation from day one made possible by an autonomous avionics systems that allows enhanced safety and stability and features customizable levels of autonomy based on a jurisdiction’s airspace regulations.

The production aircraft would be capable of transporting five passengers a distance of 200 miles at a speed of 175 mph. The aircraft will feature real-time emergency landing routing, ballistic parachutes and fully redundant systems to ensure safety for the passengers and communities it operates in.

“For the first time in the history of aviation, the various technologies required to make eVTOL a reality are converging into a safe, viable and efficient combination.” Said Airis co-founder and CEO John Narraway. “The industry is poised to accelerate exponentially from here and we are pleased to be at the pioneering stage for this new and exciting mode of urban transportation.”

“Our approach is unique to others in this emerging space as we are starting with the customer experience first and finding solutions that balance world-class engineering with an anxiety reducing environments,” he said. “Take, for instance, our propulsion: unlike most eVTOL concepts, we have deliberately tried to conceal our rotors to convey the feeling of safety and security passengers are seeking.”

Airis co-founder and Chief Design Officer Ray Mattison commented: “We are designing an aircraft that’s smart, responsible and convenient. Technological advances and market expectations demand eVTOL concepts that are mature and marketable. We are changing the way we all travel in the 2020s.”

Mattison, one of the most highly regarded aviation designers, with a body of work that includes a variety of general aviation and business aircraft, is overseeing the industrial design from concept to certification. He is also the founder of Design Eye-Q an industrial design firm focused on the future of automotive and aviation.

“A unique feature of the AirisOne design is that it would be one of the world’s only fully wheelchair accessible aircraft. This is a design feature we think is critical in providing transport solutions in urban settings. Having an aircraft design that is customer experience focused from day one is a philosophy we will take into future products we design.” said Mattison.

“We are building out our engineering team and to date have been self-funded,” Narraway added, “Now that we have achieved our first milestone, we are beginning the process of raising capital to build our flying demonstrator models and invest into the artificial intelligence systems for autonomous avionics. With the amount of successful funding and acquisitions already taking place, we have a high level of confidence in our ability to execute on our strategy, and plan be in market by 2025 with a major ridesharing provider.”

Airis Aerospace is a design and manufacturing company with offices in Bermuda and a design center in Duluth, Minnesota. In 2018 it is opening an autonomous development facility in Toronto, Canada. The company is designing the AirisOne with a view to participating in ride- haring “Air Taxi” programs that have been announced by companies like Uber Elevate.