LYTE will rise vertically where others stay flat

by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert

LYTE Aviation, the world’s newest advanced air mobility innovator will disrupt the business aviation market with an executive VTOL version that can do what others cannot. The LYTE LA-44-X introduces a whole new dimension to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), obviously with Advanced Executive Mobility (AEM). It may turn tables from corporate ‘JET’ to corporate ‘VETOL’.  Many believe that eVTOL 2-6 passenger drones should be compared with limousines and taxis. It becomes a totally different narrative when a hovering flying machine designed for forty passengers gets an executive version. 

LYTE LA-44-X flies vertically and horizontally, whereas others have no alternative than only flying flat level. The vertical dimension is where added value can be found since time is money. In business, it is not always the strongest or the biggest who wins, but rather the fastest and smartest who wins. The smart LYTE LA-44-X executive version can fly executives literally point-to-point, or rather door-to-door which is the clever added value. Others can only go point-to-point ‘and-then-some’. The ‘and-then-some’ represents the ground transportation, airport security checks, etc. Having a runway on the headquarters premises is out of the question. Having a vertiport is very well possible. Connecting that one to another company vertiport is also wonderfully possible. Positively connecting two, always has a win-win flavor, like one and one makes three.

The maverick behind it is Freshta Farzam, LYTE’s founder and CEO, an unorthodox and independent-minded person who thinks and acts in a bi-lateral way “I truly feel blessed and honored to see how my initial vision of the 40-seat LA-44 was igniting a fire within many amazingly visionary minds all over the world. It only makes sense to additionally develop an executive version. This is the clear direction I am looking at: co-creation at its finest, and expanding horizons with joy, yet exponentially!” 

LYTE Aviation intends to create the sum of the best properties, features, and benefits for corporate and for private aviation. The L-44-X will offer a number of modules to choose from being an efficient work environment in the sky to an oasis of relaxation between meetings and destinations. It will be customer focused, exceeding expectations, meeting the needs and giving more than expected. It will offer new crème-de-la-crème tailored options for the interior design consistent with the century we live in. The plan is to build a full-scale prototype within 2 years.

The LA-44-X may become a bit of an impersonation of Freshta, an inspiring charming lady who can bring spice into aviation development that may leave many business aviation specialist's jaws on the floor. She doesn’t mind being considered a disrupter. On the contrary, she goes by the words of the old philosopher: “boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Prior to founding LYTE three years ago, she was a major investment company’s Director of Strategy and Innovations and responsible for scaling up innovative hydrogen technologies, from production to infrastructure.

LYTE has opted for a hybrid, partly electric VTOL. The LA-44 is powered by four conventional turbine engines, running on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) complemented with four electric motors at the wingtips for control and stability, powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The ambition is to become fully hydrogen-electric as development progresses. “It is phenomenal to become a force in a flourishing aviation market of hydrogen, that in many ways will take over from the dominating fossil fuel industry,“ says Freshta.  

“I have been doing international collaboration strategies in the Green Hydrogen field for more than eight years and I specialized in helping companies and entrepreneurs growing their innovative renewable technology business by introducing them to the right investors or business partners in order to create more bold solutions. Some companies that lack the courage to look beyond ‘what is’, I helped them to see boldly ‘what actually can be’ with the right partners. I have been able to help my clients to increase their engagement and grow their business by 200–300% in less than 6-12 months. And that’s what I’m passionate about, expanding my own and other company’s horizons by connecting the right dots strategically globally.”

The new executive LA-44-X VETOL will have a range of 1,000km (540nm) and top a speed of 300km/h (186mph). Which is good enough to fast and quickly connect landing pads from New York to Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, and plus. Or Brussels with Paris, London, Amsterdam, Luxemburg, the Rhein-Ruhr-area and Hamburg. In the Caribbean, it would cover all of the Bahamas and connect Nassau to Miami, Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.  

When one does the common things in the industry in an uncommon way with a can-do approach, one will attract the attention of operators and customers. LYTE has found the solution for a hybrid hydrogen-electric power output that is feasible. It has intentionally set its technical and other challenges as low as it could in order to make the LYTE VETOL as feasible as possible, and it can relatively quickly enter the market. 

Admitted that it may still take a bit of time to develop and get certified, but therefore it also can apply the latest state of the art features that are currently under development in the aviation and technology industries. Potential partners are approaching LYTE to become involved and contribute to excellence and speeding up its commercial launch. Simply because there is a market and a demand for this new aircraft type. Details will be published step by step. 

Freshta’s last but not least say: “For this stage, after 3 years of research, this is our feasible design for now! Tomorrow, we will create more compact and better designs. It is called iteration, a healthy and normal process. Iterations take place even after serial production has started, so there is never a final product, but for now our design is final…., until tomorrow. It is time to give executive air travel a next-level disruption because the markets are ready now. There is little advantage into winning when one wins too easily but the LYTE and bright future is sooner than one thinks.”