Eve Air Mobility Completes First eVTOL Transition Flight

Eve Air Mobility has successfully executed the first partial transition flight of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) engineering prototype, activating the aircraft’s rear pusher propeller in flight for the first time.

In a press release issued on August 3, 2026, the Embraer-backed company confirmed the milestone, which validates the aerodynamic design during one of the most complex phases of eVTOL operation: the shift from vertical lift to forward wing-borne flight.

Flight test metrics and envelope expansion

During the test conducted in Melbourne, Florida, the prototype reached a maximum height of 90 feet above ground level. The flight lasted 3 minutes and 9 seconds, covering a distance of approximately 0.84 nautical miles.

Engineers activated the pusher propeller up to 1,200 RPM, allowing the aircraft to attain a stabilized speed of 27 knots and a maximum ground speed of 30 knots.

“This flight successfully demonstrated pusher activation in flight and validated key performance targets at the start of the transition phase. The data collected will support continued envelope expansion as we advance toward higher speeds and more complex transition flight testing,” said Marcelo Basile, Head of Engineering at Eve Air Mobility.

The engineering team will use the data from this partial transition to expand the airspeed envelope. Upcoming datalink testing will target speeds up to 50 knots.

Development timeline and regulatory progress

The transition flight follows the May 21, 2026, closeout of the prototype’s hover and low-speed flight block. That initial testing phase encompassed 59 flights and 2 hours and 27 minutes of accumulated flight time to prepare the aircraft for forward flight dynamics.

“This first partial transition flight is an important milestone in Eve’s development journey. Successfully activating the pusher propulsion system in flight validates a key aspect of our aircraft design and brings us one step closer to delivering safe, efficient and scalable air mobility solutions,” said Johann Bordais, Chief Executive Officer of Eve Air Mobility.

The flight test progress aligns with recent regulatory and commercial momentum for the production aircraft, designated as the Eve 100. On July 19, 2026, Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) published proposed noise certification criteria for the aircraft. During the same week, Eve secured an order for up to 16 eVTOLs from Shearwater Global Capital and signed a Letter of Intent with Moov for up to 30 aircraft intended for regional mobility in Cabo Verde.

Financial context

Following the announcement, Eve Air Mobility (NYSE: EVEX) shares saw a 2.6 percent premarket trading increase, reaching $2.38. The transition flight milestone arrives one day before the company is scheduled to report its second-quarter 2026 earnings on August 4, 2026.

AirPro News analysis

The transition phase is widely considered the most aerodynamically critical hurdle in eVTOL development. Managing the handoff of lift from vertical rotors to a fixed wing while engaging forward propulsion introduces complex structural and software challenges. By successfully activating the pusher propeller and gathering real-world data at 27 knots, Eve has cleared a major technical bottleneck. We view this methodical progression from the hover block to partial transition as a strong indicator of the program’s engineering discipline, which will be essential as the company navigates the certification process with ANAC and other global regulators.

Sources: Eve Air Mobility / Embraer