White paper, unveiled at Advanced Air Mobility Infrastructure Industry Day at HAI HELI-EXPO, aims to bridge gap between current, future vertical flight operations.

HAI and NEXA Advisors, a NEXA Capital company, have published a new report exploring the many business opportunities advanced air mobility (AAM) offers the helicopter industry. The white paper, Helicopter Industry Embraces Electric Flight: How Advanced Air Mobility Creates New Market Opportunity for Today’s Helicopter Operators, was distributed on Mar. 7, Advanced Air Mobility Infrastructure Industry Day, at HAI HELI-EXPO 2022 in Dallas, Texas.

The joint effort between HAI and NEXA aims in part to help rotorcraft operators and maintainers embrace the future of our industry, which necessarily includes AAM. The paper is also meant to encourage electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers and suppliers to learn the needs and concerns of current helicopter operators.

AAM, the authors note, promises tantalizing business opportunities that will complement, rather than compete with, helicopter operations and operators.

“These new services will have to earn public acceptance, but the potential of the reduced acoustic footprint and emissions of eVTOL aircraft—coupled with the affordability of their services—offers a chance for vertical transportation to achieve ubiquity,” the report declares.