AFI KLM E&M and Ascendance Flight Technologies have collectively announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This memorandum will allow the two companies to explore potential collaborations in the coming months in four main areas: line maintenance, component repair, mechanics training and airworthiness management.
Ascendance is currently working on what according to the company is one of the most promising vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL) projects in Europe. Called Atea, it consists of a 5-seat aircraft with a 400 km range due to the Sterna propulsion architecture also developed by the start-up. Atea is a distributed hybrid electric motorization equipped with a modular energetic approach to accepting conventional fuel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) up to Hydrogen. The certification activities regarding the above-mentioned technologies have officially commenced and a prototype of Atea is expected to achieve its first flight in 2023.