flyv (Germany) (Stuttgart Manfred Rommel) has announced a strategic partnership with Italy's Costruzioni Aeronautiche TECNAM to deliver the German virtual carrier's first aircraft, a nine-passenger twin-piston engine Tecnam P2012 and P2012 STOL, for ad-hoc services to small rural airports.
"Versatile capabilities, competitive acquisition cost, low and flat-rate operating costs [make] the P2012 Traveller and P2012 STOL the perfect aircraft to start this novel approach for on-demand services," the companies said in a joint statement.
Launching under the brand name "flyvbird", the company is developing an app-based scheduling platform using algorithms to schedule flights based on paid bookings. Passengers will receive a guaranteed fixed travel time when booking flights and exact itinerary details before departure. The focus will be on serving regional airports to offer a faster and more convenient alternative to traditional transport methods.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer Tomislav Lang said the partnership with TECNAM would help accelerate flyvbird's growth. "We believe that our unique approach to air travel, combined with our strategic partnerships and innovative technology, will revolutionise the way people travel, and we look forward to realising our vision with the support of our future investors and partners," added co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Anton Lutz.
"TECNAM has a proud history of developing innovative aircraft, and we are excited to work with flyvbird to deliver a new and appealing air travel experience for their customers. The P2012 Traveller and P2012 STOL are the perfect solution for flyvbird's success and network growth," commented Francesco Sferra, P2012 Business Development Manager and experimental test pilot.
flyv said it previously secured a partnership with Electra.aero, the developer of a nine-passenger hybrid eSTOL aircraft, which would be able to operate from any smaller airport quietly, providing the opportunity for air services to any community even if traditional infrastructure was not available.
flyv was founded on August 6, 2019, by Lang, who was joined in 2020 by Lutz, Chief Strategy Officer René Moser and Chief Financial Officer Robert Broermann. The team has since grown to seven people. The company is EU registered in Germany and has its offices in Stuttgart.
