Asia-Pacific AAM Report 1H 2023

INTERVIEW WITH MAEVE
“Looking at the biggest target what we have now are continent
countries in this case that are actually starting to ban domestic
flights or ban short-haul flights. Think about what’s happening in the
Scandinavian markets - Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are putting a
ban on their short-haul flights,” he said.
“Or France who are putting a ban on flights less than 500 km. Those
are very clear markets that our aircraft could actually support. We
could still fly because that’s the quickest means and for a lot of
these routes, there is no other alternative.”
On top of the environmental aspect, Dieben said Maeve will also
look to target nations where congestion is a major problem. He
highlighted the Netherlands as a perfect example as Schiphol Airport
in Amsterdam announced it would be cutting 60,000 flight slots in
January. The move, which will come into effect from November 2023,
aims to slash noise and air pollution in the region while improving the
quality of life for residents that reside close to the airport. This isn’t
the only drastic step taken by Schiphol Airport as it also unveiled
further plans to ban business jets by 2025. Given the shifting trend
towards cleaner, more environmentally-friendly air travel, Dieben feels
the Maeve 01 “could be a very good solution”.
The Americas and island countries such as New Zealand are also
among the markets on Maeve’s radar.
“North America and South America is, of course, a very big growth
market for us as a regional aircraft,” he said. “Other markets you can
think about are the islands where you have no alternative. Think
about Greece or the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao).”
Potential in India and China
Looking to countries brimming with potential, Dieben acknowledged
that India and China are the two that stand out most since both are
economic powerhouses and are growing steadily as regional aviation
hotspots. That said, he admitted there is a need for the necessary
advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure to be built for the Maeve
01 and other electric aircraft to operate.
Both India and China are committed to introducing electric aircraft
in their respective markets but have made limited progress on the
infrastructure front. While countries like the U.S., Italy, and France
are working with infrastructure companies to build vertiports as
part of their efforts to develop AAM, developing countries with large
populations like India and China are still at the starting line. So far,
Chinese eVTOL firm EHang has spearheaded the drive in China,
having developed a vertiport in Guangzhou.
“India and China are growth markets for the regional aviation sector
purely because the infrastructure is not there yet. At the economic
level, the inhabitants are going up, so they want access to travel,”
Dieben pointed out.
Plenty of Unique Selling Points
Maeve is not the only company involved in this space and Dieben
is well aware of the other competitors that have ventured into this
territory. Rather than bristle at the prospect of having to stave off
numerous competitors, he is happy to coincide with other firms like
Sweden’s Heart Aerospace. That said, he noted Maeve is currently
the biggest announced fully electric airliner, which “gives us a leading
edge of a few years to any of the competitors out there”.
Apart from a head start, the Maeve 01 is also a viable commercial
airline solution for companies that want to adhere to changing
industry standards when it comes to sustainability.
The zero-emissions aspect further adds to the Maeve 01’s already
impressive pedigree as it does not emit any carbon dioxide or nitrogen
oxide. It also scores points for not emitting contrails, which, in Diebens
eyes, is “a very big polluting aspect which kind of gets overlooked”.
1H 2023 ASIA-PACIFIC AAM REPORT | 83