VONAER, an urban air mobility (UAM) and private jet platform company, has signed a pre-order agreement for 20 hybrid eVTOLs with PLANA US, Inc., a U.S.-based developer of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This agreement is seen as a result of VONAER’s expansion into air mobility and PLANA’s global market entry strategy.

According to an announcement on the 22nd, Plana will supply five certified aircraft to Bonair by 2033, with an additional 15 aircraft to be delivered in phases through 2040. Through this contract, Plana has secured a total of 127 pre-orders for the aircraft, with a contract value of approximately $664 million.

Bon Air CEO Shin Min said, “The partnership with Plana is an extension of the MOU we signed in May of last year, and we have been collaborating on practical market analysis based on data and designing new air travel experiences. This LOI is a concrete result of the strategic collaboration between the manufacturer and the platform.”

Plana CEO Kim Jae-hyung stated, “Although we started in Korea, we are currently establishing a Delaware corporation and plan to relocate our headquarters there within the year. We will begin our global expansion strategy in earnest, including FAA certification, financing, and market entry.” He added, “Our collaboration with BonAir represents an opportunity to create new air mobility demand beyond the existing helicopter-centric market.”

This contract highlights the growth potential of the domestic urban air traffic market and demonstrates strategic collaboration between companies in the eVTOL commercialization phase. However, challenges remain, including FAA certification, ensuring operational safety, and establishing infrastructure, before actual commercialization. Experts point out that, “Given the long-term nature of the supply plan, if certification and operational stability are not secured, there is a possibility of project delays.”