The Future of Air Mobility Relies on Thales

Today, the world of personal mobility has taken a giant leap forward as Bell revealed the full-scale configuration of its vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) air taxi vehicle at CES 2019. As part of the Bell Nexus team Thales is helping redefine the flying experience. Now, an experience where the passenger defines the flying journey and the aircraft has the power to potentially meet you at your front door is one step closer to reality.

Aircraft are quickly becoming smart, fully connected machines with new services that create new passenger experiences, optimize operations and improve safety. For Bell Nexus that meant designing the vehicle leveraging Thales flight control architecture, hardware and software capabilities, which was part of the teaming agreement announced between Thales and Bell in the fall of 2018 for VTOL and on-demand mobility (ODM) solutions.

“The skies above crowded city streets are quickly becoming the next frontier for on-demand mobility,” said Michel Grenier, vice president and general manager for the Thales avionics business in Canada. “As part of the Bell Nexus team, Thales will play a leading role in shaping urban air mobility services for the next generation of on-demand transportation.”

Thales’ advanced flight control capabilities help fly some of the world’s most iconic aircraft, including commercial airlines, business jets, and military aircraft. Thales will provide the Flight Control Computer, hardware and software and bring its best-in-class expertise in avionics and flight control architecture and technologies to support the critical safety and autonomy requirements for this air taxi vehicle. Bell and Thales’ collaboration will ensure an advanced, fully integrated fly-by-wire system, providing a safe, reliable, and affordable on-demand mobility solution.

Thales’ world-class aviation expertise will help Bell Nexus deliver a superior passenger experience, uncompromising performance and critical safety standards to its future urban air mobility vehicle. With Bell, and the other Nexus partners, Thales is helping make the future of autonomous urban air transportation possible.

See the full Bell Nexus air taxi passenger experience between Jan. 8 - 11 at CES and discover a new world of transportation (Bell Booth 5431 – Las Vegas Convention Center, North Hall). A panel discussion on autonomous air mobility will be held at the Bell booth on Jan. 8 at 2 p.m. PT.