LYTE Aviation Ltd has received ten conditional purchase orders from Vman Aviation Services IFSC Pvt Ltd for the intended acquisition of 10 SkyClinic aircraft.
The agreements represent a total order value of €500,000,000 and include milestone-triggered deposits of €10 million, marking one of the most significant early-stage commitments in the advanced air mobility sector to date. The aircraft are intended for deployment in India.
LYTE Aviation has secured a total of €1.42 billion in pre-orders to date while continuing development of its technology.
The SkyClinic is described as the world’s first purpose-built flying hospital. It is a hybrid-hydrogen electric tandem tilt-wing Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft designed to deploy medical capabilities to disaster zones, conflict regions, and underserved communities. The aircraft requires as little as a 50-metre landing field and does not require runways, helipads, or existing infrastructure, enabling operation in areas where critical transport and medical infrastructure may be unavailable.
The platform is equipped with onboard surgical facilities, including a full operating theatre for medical teams, and can accommodate up to six patients. It also integrates remote robotic surgery systems supported by AI-powered surgical platforms, combining onboard and remote capabilities to enable procedures where specialist personnel may not be physically present.
The SkyClinic is powered by LYTE Aviation’s proprietary PowerBridge propulsion system, which combines combustion and electric engines fueled by liquid hydrogen and fuel cells. The system reduces the aircraft’s engine count from eight to four, simplifying the powertrain architecture, reducing weight, increasing reliability, and lowering maintenance requirements. This innovation addresses a key limitation in electric aviation, where electric motor output is currently limited to approximately 1,000 HP per unit, and is intended to support the transition toward zero-carbon flight and the development of fully hydrogen electric aircraft.
LYTE Aviation was founded in 2023 and first developed the LA-44 SkyBus, a 40-seat hybrid hydrogen-electric tandem tilt-wing eVTOL aircraft with a range of up to 1,000 km. The company has also developed the SkyTruck, a cargo variant with a 4.5-tonne payload capacity based on the same platform architecture. LYTE Aviation has secured 23 pre-orders across its SkyBus and SkyTruck platforms, with the additional SkyClinic agreements further supporting market demand.
The company has participated in industry discussions on advanced air mobility, hydrogen-electric propulsion, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), including presenting the SkyClinic concept at EBACE 2024 alongside organizations such as Groupe ADP, the Advanced Air Mobility Institute, and Dronamics.
Freshta Farzam, CEO & Founder of LYTE Aviation Ltd, said, “I am deeply proud of what we have achieved, and humbled by the extraordinary people who believed in this vision before the world caught up with it. From OEM manufacturers and technology suppliers to early off-takers and humanitarian partners, the support we have received across every sector tells me that the world is ready for a new solution. The SkyClinic is not just an aircraft. It is a platform, a flying hospital, a logistics node, and a zero-carbon propulsion testbed all in one.
“The conditional purchase order from Vman Aviation is a profound validation of that vision. We are creating the aircraft for the next 100 years, and Vman Aviation is one of our main visionary and much appreciated customers on our journey. Working alongside one of the greatest Indian visionaries and leading aviation businesses enables alignment between aircraft development and operational realities in India, especially for medical emergencies that we intend to cover with our SkyClinic.”
Vishok Mansingh, CEO of VMAN Aviation, added, “India, the world’s most populous nation, is on a clear path to becoming a developed country by 2047, the 100th anniversary of the Republic, with equitable access to advanced healthcare as a critical pillar of this vision. However, building specialized hospitals across every region, particularly in Tier 2, Tier 3, and remote hinterland areas, is neither practical nor economical. To bridge this gap, Vman has ordered 10 SkyClinic eVTOL-based airborne medical units for deployment across India.
“Enabled by high-speed 5G/6G connectivity and equipped with advanced surgical and diagnostic capabilities, SkyClinic can deliver specialized medical services directly to underserved locations. This transformative platform will democratize access to high-quality healthcare at a fraction of the cost of traditional infrastructure, reduce patient migration to major cities, optimize the deployment of specialized medical expertise, and support India’s journey toward inclusive, future-ready healthcare for all.“
