Eve Air Mobility has conducted a flight of its full-scale engineering prototype electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft at Embraer’s test facility in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, as part of its flight test program aimed at eventual certification.
The flight was conducted for Brazilian government authorities, including Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Others in attendance included the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos; the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho; the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) President, Tiago Chagas Faierstein; and Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) President, Aloizio Mercadante, along with media.
According to Eve, the prototype has completed 35 flights and accumulated nearly 1.5 hours of flight time since its first flight in December 2025. The company said the aircraft has reached 140 feet above ground level (43 metres) and has conducted manoeuvres with simultaneous inputs across three axes.
Eve said preliminary results indicate efficiency gains, with propulsion and battery performance above initial expectations, and noise levels within projections. The company said measured noise remains lower than conventional helicopters.
Flights to date have focused on low-speed operations of up to 15 knots (about 28 km/h), which Eve said supports validation of control laws, rotor aerodynamic efficiency, thermal behaviour and its propulsion model. The company said it plans to expand testing to higher speeds as it broadens the flight envelope.
Eve CEO Johann Bordais said the company is aiming to reduce risk and build a basis for future certification flights.
Separately, Embraer President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto said Embraer’s experience in aircraft development and certification is being applied to the program.
Eve noted that certification remains subject to completing technical milestones and approval by relevant regulators.
Alongside technical testing, Eve said it is participating in work to develop Brazil’s regulatory and institutional framework for urban air mobility, including a public consultation process tied to Brazil’s National Urban Air Mobility Policy led by the Ministry of Ports and Airports.
The company said it has received more than BRL 1.4 billion in financing from BNDES since 2022, and that Finep has approved up to BRL 90 million in grants for digital innovation and sustainable aviation initiatives.
In addition to its aircraft program, Eve said it is developing Eve Vector, an urban air traffic management software product, and Eve TechCare, an aftermarket services and operational support platform.
