Canadian charter carrier Nolinor Aviation is looking to the future by securing production positions for an optionally piloted cargo aircraft being developed by Southern California start-up Natilus.
Mirabel-based Nolinor said on 4 February that it has an agreement with Natilus that includes slots for “multiple” blended wing-body (BWB) cargo aircraft called Kona.
Natilus’ in-development Kona platform is “uniquely designed to operate on gravel and unpaved runways”, Nolinor says.
The companies do not specify financial terms, nor do they disclose the number of aircraft to be delivered should Natilus clear multiple development and certification hurdles and bring Kona to market.
Marco Prud’Homme, Nolinor’s president, says that his team visited Natilus in San Diego last year and came away “impressed by their groundbreaking approach to aircraft design and their dedication to addressing the unique challenges of the cargo industry”.
“The Kona’s gravel runway capability is a perfect match for our operations, and we are eager to leverage its potential,” he adds.
The deal shines light on Nolinor’s long-term fleet strategy as it currently operates a fleet of Boeing 737-200s, -300s and -400s that range from 35 to 50 years old.
The charter operator intends to continue flying its 737s into remote, far-northern Canadian communities for many years. But it will eventually need to explore alternatives to its well-used narrowbody jets.
Kona will operate on a regional level, with a targeted payload of 3,800kg (8,378lb) and range of 900nm. In May, the start-up disclosed that it had partnered with advanced propulsion developer ZeroAvia to provide optional hydrogen propulsion on its Kona platform.
The firm is working toward flying a full-scale Kona prototype within the next two years, while it is aiming to begin the first deliveries to customers in 2028.
Natilus has even bigger ambitions, as it is also developing a 200-passenger BWB platform called Horizon that it believes will disrupt decades of tube-and-wing dominance.
