To revolutionise intra-city travel, Bellwether is bringing to market Volar, a UAM aircraft for personal and private mobility, designed to fly anyone at any time between any points in a city. Volar’s usercentric design and city compatibility aims to redefine future lifestyles and reduce complications often associated with city transportation, helping make stress-free intra-city transportation a reality, sooner rather than later.

The industry-first collaboration between Inmarsat and Bellwether Industries will explore how satellite communications can optimise the future of intra-city transportation services, with a focus on safety, regulation and innovation. Inmarsat’s Velaris connectivity solution and the company’s existing expertise in aviation safety systems will enable Bellwether’s Volar to safely and seamlessly integrate with commercial airspace no matter where it flies, with accurate positional information reported back from onboard satellite navigation systems, and the ability to combine and harmonise this data for Uncrewed Traffic Management. Additionally, Bellwether will gain access to regulatory and air traffic management expertise from Inmarsat and Velaris partners throughout the design and implementation process.

Kai-Tse Lin, Bellwether’s Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, said: “Inmarsat’s contribution is extremely important to the future development of Bellwether’s Onboard Vehicle Management System and airspace integration. It’s crucial that the operation of our Volar urban aircraft is a simplified and user-friendly experience, making commuting in a Volar easier than driving your car.”

Inmarsat’s Anthony Spouncer said: “Our partnership with Bellwether will be critical in the development of safe and efficient intra-city transportation services with passenger experience as their driving force. In collaboration with an urban air mobility platform manufacturer, Velaris will play a key role in making safety and efficiency industry-standard features for the intra-city transportation sector. Together we’re defining a new category of transportation that is passenger orientated by design, prioritising safety and regulation.”