Nairobi — Kenya Airways has entered into a deal that will see it buy 40 flying electric taxis technically known as the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as it seeks to establish itself as a leader in urban air mobility.

Under its subsidiary, Fahari Innovation, the national carrier signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with two Brazilian firms, UAM, LLC, a subsidiary of Eve Holding, Inc. ("Eve") and a carve-out of Embraer S.A. ("Embraer") which are some of the prominent players in urban air mobility.

eVTOL aircraft uses a technology that enables it to hover, take off, and land vertically.

Under the agreement, the three will be involved in joint studies through a working group to develop and scale the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) market and a business model for cargo drone operations in Kenya.

The project is expected to start deliveries in 2026.

Allan Kilavuka, Group Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Airways said the use of flying cars will place the airline as the regional leader of urban air mobility which is the future of transport.

"The journey to realise the dream of eVTOL vehicles in Kenya is on course and the partnership with EVE UAM, is a key achievement for us as part of the strategy to adopt new technologies as a growth strategy for the sustainable development of Africa." he said.

Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve said the partnership will strengthen both companies' commitment to establishing the foundations that will sustainably support the ecosystem for urban air mobility in Kenya.

"This is a new chapter of the Eve and Fahari Aviation partnership to. Last year, we announced a collaboration to develop operational models for Fahari Aviation's key markets, and today's announcement confirms that it is evolving successfully," said