I had the chance to sit down with Brandon Robinson, the CEO of Horizon Aircraft, about hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and urban air mobility for longer-haul flights.

Background on Horizon Aircraft

Horizon Aircraft is a Canadian aerospace company building a hybrid eVTOL aircraft for commercial passenger and cargo operation. Brian Robinson and Brandon Robinson founded Horizon Aircraft in 2013. I spoke with Brandon Robinson, a former CF-18 pilot with 22 years of flying experience in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). His military career also included managing capital projects up to CA$4 billion ($2.97 billion) and handling the RCAF's acquisition of F-35 fighter jets. Robinson developed a good understanding of the technical and business sides of the aviation industry through his previous experience.

Over the past decade, Horizon Aircraft has assembled a diverse team of people committed to revolutionizing regional air transportation. The team includes engineers, pilots, and bankers with extensive aviation and manufacturing experience. Horizon Aircraft's mission is to conduct regional flight operations more efficiently, as seen through its motto: "We were born to find a better way to fly."  

The Aircraft

Horizon Aircraft's product is the Cavorite X7: a hybrid eVTOL aircraft that takes off vertically and flies like a conventional plane once airborne. This structure is possible due to the company's patented HOVR wing system. It allows the Cavorite X7 to carry more passengers or cargo across longer distances in less time. The HOVR design makes Horizon Aircraft's product more efficient than other eVTOLs that have designs resembling traditional helicopters. Brandon said the Cavorite X7 can do anything a helicopter does, but for 30 to 50% cheaper and in half the time.

These are the specifications of the Cavorite X7:

• Range: 800 kilometers (500 miles)
• Speed: 450 kilometers per hour (280 miles per hour)
• Weight: 2,500 kilograms (5,500 pounds)
• Passenger Capacity: Six passengers and one pilot
• Cargo Capacity for vertical take-off: 680 kilograms (1,500 pounds)
• Cargo capacity for conventional take-off: 815 kilograms (1,800 pounds)

The Cavorite X7 has a higher range, speed, and capacity than its competitors. The aircraft's range allows it to be used for regional air transportation instead of only within urban areas. Meanwhile, the plane's higher passenger and cargo capacity can transport more people and goods over hundreds of kilometers. 
 

A mixture of gasoline and electricity will power the Cavorite X7. Brandon said the aircraft has generators onboard to recharge the battery while the plane is idle. The generators allow the aircraft to access more locations since it does not have to fly from vertiport to vertiport. Missions can be completed quickly since passengers and pilots do not have to wait for the plane to recharge fully. This structure is estimated to create up to 30% less hydrocarbon emissions than traditional aircraft. Furthermore, the aircraft will eventually become 100% electric once battery technology improves.

The Cavorite X7's Uses

My discussion with Brandon focused significantly on the Cavorite X7's focus on regional air mobility. Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, with most of its population living near the U.S. border. The country's large size means many communities are extremely isolated, especially in northern Canada. For example, driving from Edmonton to Yellowknife can take over 15 hours in good weather conditions. Edmonton is the closest major city to the north of Canada, including Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

The northern parts of Canada's provinces are also isolated since the country's largest cities are close to the U.S. border. These cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, are major tourist destinations and economic activity centers. Relatively low travel demand, harsh weather conditions in the winter, and geographic constraints are some of the reasons why northern communities have limited road connectivity. Brandon mentioned that transporting items by road can be a long and complex process since items must be loaded and removed from trucks multiple times. As a result, people living in isolated communities can become anxious about not receiving essential supplies on time.

Brandon said the Cavorite X7 will focus significantly on essential services, such as delivering medical supplies and transporting injured people to hospitals. Unlike other eVTOLs that can only conduct such missions within urban areas, the Cavorite X7 can assist people in remote communities. Due to high prices and long commutes, these tasks can be difficult to accomplish with a traditional helicopter or road transport. The Cavorite X7 can be easily reconfigured to switch from transporting passengers to cargo and vice versa.

These are some of the uses for the Cavorite X7 aircraft:

• Transporting drugs, vaccines, and other medical supplies to isolated areas: For example, someone in northern Quebec needs a liver transplant after being diagnosed with chronic liver disease. 
• Evacuating people from areas heavily impacted by natural disasters: For example, wildfires that burned over 37 million acres (15 million hectares) in the summer of 2023, especially in British Columbia and Alberta.
• Flying passengers and cargo from major cities to remote communities: For example, goods that arrive at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and have communities in northern Ontario as their final destination.
• Airborne surveillance for major events within urban areas: For example, preventing unauthorized drones from flying over McMahon Stadium in Calgary during home games for the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders.

Horizon Aircraft's IPO and eVTOL Order

Horizon Aircraft witnessed two major events in January: an initial public offering (IPO) and a major order for the Cavorite X7. The IPO raised approximately $9 million, with another $16 million possible through a share purchase agreement. Horizon Aircraft became a publicly traded company on January 16, and the team rang the Nasdaq Closing Bell in New York on January 25. The company operates as New Horizon Aircraft, Ltd., and the shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange with ticker symbols HOVR and HOVRW, respectively. 

Brandon said the following about the IPO in a separate press release on January 12:

“I am proud and honored by Horizon Aircraft's achievement of this significant milestone as we embark on our journey as a publicly traded company. This evolution will serve as a catalyst to accelerate our growth by providing the resources to continue the development and testing of our practical, real world use hybrid eVTOL, the Cavorite X7. We are thankful for the Pono team's continued collaboration, support, and conviction throughout the transaction process.”

On January 16, Horizon Aircraft announced an agreement with Indian regional air operator JetSetGo to purchase up to 100 Cavorite X7 aircraft. The deal allows JetSetGo to purchase 50 planes for $250 million, each costing $5 million. JetSetGo can also purchase 50 more Cavorite X7s, double the agreement's value. The order will help India develop its advanced air mobility sector, a major focus of the Wings India 2024 conference that occurred in Hyderabad from January 17 to 21. 

Kanika Tekriwal, JetSetGo's CEO and co-founder, said about the order on January 16:

"We decided to partner with a company with a deep operational and aerospace technology background that will deliver a product that will help usher in a new era of sustainable air travel while also providing significant value for our customers. This partnership will help JetSetGo profitably enter new markets by leveraging the versatility of the Cavorite platform to bring about the vision of advanced air mobility."

The Company's Future Plans

I asked Brandon about Horizon Aircraft's future plans after recently going public and securing its first order. My first question was about the possibility of partnerships with commercial airlines. Several carriers, including Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, plan to incorporate eVTOLs into their fleets in the coming years. Airlines want to help revolutionize urban air mobility by flying passengers from their hub airports to city centers instead of using ground transport. Brandon said that airline partnerships are not currently a primary focus, but such partnerships could happen once the product is fully developed.
 

My second question was about Horizon Aircraft's plans for international expansion. Brandon said emerging markets have a strong potential to use the product since many countries have large populations outside urban areas. One country mentioned during our discussion was India: the world's largest country by population and fastest-growing major economy. Reducing the barriers to transporting people and goods to isolated communities can help countries in the Global South achieve their economic potential. Horizon Aircraft plans to continue expanding outside North America, especially after receiving an order from India’s JetSetGo.