Electra, UrbanV, and Signature Aviation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the development of a regional mobility ecosystem based on direct, point-to-point air travel.
The collaboration brings together Electra’s ultra-short hybrid-electric aircraft platform, UrbanV’s vertiport development and operations capabilities, and Signature Aviation’s global network of private aviation terminals.
The companies aim to support a travel model known as Direct Aviation, which coordinates aircraft, infrastructure, and operations to enable more direct travel between communities.
The proposed ecosystem would use a distributed mesh network of small, strategically located “Ultra Short” access points embedded within existing communities, destinations, and transportation corridors. Electra’s aircraft is designed to take off and land in as little as 150 feet, supporting the use of small, strategically located access points.
Under the MOU, the companies will jointly identify and develop Ultra Short access points in core demand centers. They intend to progress toward site-specific term sheets defining how the model could be deployed in practice.
The collaboration is intended to address the regional mobility gap, particularly journeys of approximately 50 to 250 miles that are poorly served by existing transportation options. Travelers making these journeys may currently face long drives through congestion or difficult terrain, indirect flights through major airport hubs, and travel times that are disproportionate to the distances involved.
Electra’s recently released Direct Aviation Market Outlook identifies more than 35 million regional passenger trips per day in the United States and more than 6,000 routes with over 1,000 travelers per day. According to Electra, much of this demand is not currently served by commercial air travel.
Diana Siegel, Vice President, Commercial Programs at Electra, commented, “Direct Aviation is about giving people the freedom to travel from where they are to where they want to go without the constraints of traditional aviation models. Electra’s Direct Aviation Market Outlook shows that tens of millions of regional trips are already happening every day across distances where driving is inefficient and traditional aviation is often impractical. This partnership is a major milestone in bringing together the infrastructure, operational expertise, and global footprint needed to make regional mobility faster, simpler, and far more accessible.”
Direct Aviation is intended to support intercity connections, leisure travel, airport feeder services, and access for smaller communities. The model is designed for repeatable deployment across multiple geographies and use cases, including passenger and cargo operations.
Massimiliano Pane, Executive Director, UrbanV, stated, “Advanced Air Mobility will scale only if the infrastructure is practical, phased, and deeply integrated with the aviation ecosystem that already exists today. Together with Signature Aviation, UrbanV is building an infrastructure platform with deep aviation roots: from FBO electrification and airport-based AAM operations to dedicated vertiport networks and strategically selected off-airport sites. Electra’s ultra-short hybrid-electric aircraft adds a powerful regional mobility use case to this platform and reinforces our shared objective of making AAM deployable, accessible, and scalable.”
Derek DeCross, Chief Commercial Officer, Signature Aviation, added, “The future of aviation will be defined by greater access, connectivity, and seamless guest experiences. This collaboration represents an exciting step toward building a new regional mobility ecosystem that brings together innovative aircraft, strategically located infrastructure, and operational expertise to unlock more direct and efficient ways to travel. By combining Electra’s breakthrough aircraft capabilities with UrbanV’s next-generation vertiport vision and Signature’s global network, we have an opportunity to help shape how regional air mobility is deployed and scaled around the world.”
