Building on its plan to launch a new class of city-to-city air mobility, with reduced environmental impact, Transcend Air Corporation and Lily Helipads have announced a partnership to build sustainable, zero-emission barge-based landing spots, called “vertipads.”
A network of low-impact vertipads will be located on the water adjacent to city centers, including in Boston Harbor, around the island of Manhattan, on Montreal’s riverfront, and in San Francisco Bay.
It is all part of Transcend Air’s plan for sustainable mobility.
Transcend Air, which will be building and flying the Vy 400 VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft, is planning to launch service in 2024 from Boston Harbor and Manhattan.
The new Transcend Air-Lily Helipads takeoff and landing spots come with unprecedented self-sustaining features, including:
- Solar powered – will draw no energy from the power grid;
- Crash and hurricane proof – providing the highest level of protection to people and surrounding structures;
- Patented lighting – to enhance takeoff and landing operations, pads feature integrated LEDs;
- Heated surfaces – no dangerous snow or ice buildup;
- Fluid runoff capture – catches fuel, oil, deicing fluid, and other runoff in below-deck tanks for recycling; and
- ADA accessible – meets all federal and state requirements.
“Transcend Air will address multiple problems involving congestion, traffic, and pollution caused by our current transportation system,” said Transcend Air founder and CEO Gregory Bruell. “By bringing vertipads close to travelers, we don’t increase airport traffic. And by focusing on a safe and environmentally-friendly landing and takeoff infrastructure, as only Lily can help us provide, we will be creating a more sustainable way to travel.”
John Dotlich, CEO of Lily Helipads, said, “Lily Helipads is excited for the opportunity to incorporate many of the tried-and-true innovations found in our helipad landing surfaces into these new Transcend vertipad landing systems.”
Transcend Air is developing the Vy 400, a six-seat VTOL aircraft, which can depart and arrive on traditional helipads, along with vertipads that sit on barges, in places such as the Boston Harbor and New York’s Hudson and East Rivers. The airline plans to roll out its service to other urban centers.
