Advanced air mobility company Plana has signed a letter of intent to purchase 20 hybrid eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft from Vonaer, a Korea-based air mobility service provider.
Under the agreement, Plana will supply Vonaer with five certified aircraft by 2033 and an additional 15 by 2040.
Throughout this contract, Plana has secured pre-orders for a total of 127 aircraft, amounting to a supply agreement of $664 million.
Braden J. Kim, founder and CEO of Plana, says: “Our company, which was launched in South Korea, has now completed the establishment of a Delaware corporation in the United States and plans to finalize its headquarters relocation to the US within this year to pursue FAA certification, capital raising, and market entry.
“Vonaer is a highly influential air mobility service platform provider in Asia. Our aircraft will create a much larger market in a sector currently served by helicopters.”
Kim adds: “Vonaer is a partner we signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) in May 2023. We have jointly analyzed the data realistically required by the market and collaborated on how to properly shape the new experience of air travels using VTOLs.”
Vonaer is Korea’s first UAM (urban air mobility) platform, expanding from helicopter-based services to private jets and eVTOL, positioning itself as Asia’s first fully integrated aviation mobility platform.
Vonaer is building a hospitality-driven luxury service platform to set the standard for air mobility in Asia and is preparing for expansion into Europe and the United States.
Min Shin, CEO of Vonaer, says: “The LoI (letter of intent) with Plana marks a key milestone toward realizing this vision, highlighting how partnerships between manufacturers and operators drive market growth.”
