Kenya Airways Signs a Deal to Acquire 40 Flying Electric Taxis from Brazil

Kenya Airways (KQ) has signed a deal with two Brazilian companies to acquire 40 flying electric taxis as it seeks to establish itself as a leader in urban air mobility.

Through its subsidiary Fahari Aviation, the national airline on Tuesday signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with UAM, LLC, a subsidiary of Eve Holding, Inc. (“Eve”), and a carve-out of Embraer S.A. (“Embraer").

Under the agreement, the three companies will undertake 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.

KQ CEO Allan Kilavuka said the use of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, commonly known as flying cars, will place the national carrier as the regional leader in urban air mobility which is the future of transport.

“The journey to realize 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,” Kilavuka said.

Eve co-CEO Andre Stein pointed out that 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. 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,” he said.