Advanced Air Mobility
The aircraft is not certified. The regulation is not finished. No customer has ever bought one. And the company needs an order book to raise the capital that gets it to certification.
That is not selling. It is establishing what a product is worth, to whom, and on what terms, using evidence that does not exist yet.
What we do
01
Defining what is actually being sold: aircraft, seats, availability or a service. The answer shapes the entire business model.
02
Establishing commercial value and pricing strategies in a market where comparable transactions do not yet exist.
03
Determining which customer commitments create genuine value and support fundraising. Not all commitments are equally meaningful, and some cost more to secure than they raise.
04
Identifying viable routes and use cases based on actual aircraft performance and operating constraints, rather than promotional assumptions.
05
Determining who will operate the aircraft, under whose certificate and within which commercial structure.
Working with advanced air mobility companies
Advanced air mobility companies must establish commercial credibility before their aircraft enter service. Manufacturers, operators and investors need to understand what customers will pay for, which commitments represent genuine demand and whether the business can work at realistic operating volumes.
We bring direct experience of the sector, including the commercial challenges that emerge when certification timelines shift, capital becomes constrained and order books fail to translate into viable operations. We focus on the assumptions that determine whether a commercial model can survive beyond the fundraising stage.
Where we have done this
AEROCS held a Vice President, Commercial mandate at a European advanced air mobility programme during its order book development and route-to-market planning. Although the programme did not survive, the experience provides direct insight into commercial risk, investor expectations and the challenges of bringing new aircraft to market.
Common questions
The commercial use of new aircraft types, primarily electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, for short- and medium-range passenger and cargo transport. While the technology is advancing, the commercial and regulatory models are still developing.
Often, they mistake an order book for genuine demand. Pre-certification commitments may be conditional, optional or non-binding. The gap between announced orders and firm contractual commitments can therefore undermine credibility with investors and other stakeholders.
Certification timelines have repeatedly shifted, while capital markets have adjusted their expectations. The companies best positioned to enter service are those with commercial models that remain viable at low operating volumes, rather than those that depend on rapid scale to become profitable.
Other expertise