A vertical take-off and landing aircraft that is 40 per cent cheaper to run than a helicopter 

A company has unveiled “the world’s most advanced nine-seater aircraft” as a cost-effective and low-carbon solution to intercity travel

Spotted: For city-to-city travel, going by air is notoriously bad for our planet. Planes pump an array of greenhouse gases high up in the atmosphere, producing potent warming effects. Thankfully, UK startup ARC Aerosystems is set to be a player in mitigating the aviation sector’s emissions with its new, uniquely designed passenger aircraft. The ARC Linx P9 has been called the “world’s most advanced nine-seater aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capability.” 

The revolutionary aircraft provides the flexibility of a helicopter with the performance of a fixed-wing utility aircraft, cutting costs by using a more simplistic drivetrain than a chopper. Moreover, this single-rotor aircraft is low-carbon, too, as it has been crafted to run on sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), or even, in the future, hydrogen. 

Of the innovation, ARC’s CEO Seyed Mohseni said, “it’s a very exciting design concept that is the ultimate solution for the market, that is affordable, safe and practical, whilst providing the right answer to the current environmental concerns.” 

While the new ARC Linx P9 is not yet commercially available, the company claims it could be airborne as soon as 2028.  

Springwise has previously spotted other advancements set to make the aviation sector more sustainable, including a flight powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel, and a zero-emission electric plane.

Written By: Georgia King