AIRO Group Holdings is pleased to announce its active role in the MACADA (MAturity of Collaborative Avoidance Development Approach) initiative, a strategic research and development effort focused on enhancing air collision avoidance systems for electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The project is carried out as a collaboration between Thales Canada, Vertiko Mobilité Inc., and Jaunt Air Mobility Canada, an AIRO Group subsidiary dedicated to advancing safe and sustainable urban air mobility.

MACADA addresses key challenges in integrating advanced aircraft into shared airspace, including connectivity, navigation planning, information sharing, and operational predictability. The initiative is designed to mature a system capable of detecting, navigating, and avoiding air conflicts, with a strong emphasis on:

- Energy management optimization

- Realistic operational scenario simulations

- Hardware prototyping

- Flight testing to validate system performance

This project advances the INSAT program by strengthening its core pillars: aircraft architecture, systems integration, and operational support. The collaborative team combines world-class expertise in avionics, aerospace systems, and detect-and-avoid technologies, and together, are driving innovation and ensuring seamless integration and operational readiness for next-generation aviation solutions.

"We are incredibly proud to be part of the MACADA initiative," said Eric Côté, President of Jaunt Air Mobility Canada. "This collaboration with Thales Canada and Vertiko Mobilité reflects the strength of Canadian aerospace innovation and our shared commitment to advancing safe integration of new aircraft into the national airspace. By developing smarter detect-and-avoid systems, we’re helping pave the way for optimized, shared airspace that benefits not only the industry but the general public. This work complements our efforts on the middle-mile, medium-lift cargo drone we announced earlier this year—another example of how Jaunt is contributing to a more connected and efficient future for air mobility."

"MACADA represents a significant step forward in ensuring safe and efficient integration of UAVs and eVTOLs into shared airspace," said Captain Joe Burns, CEO of AIRO. "This initiative is not just about solving a technical challenge—it’s about laying the groundwork for a fully integrated Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) ecosystem. At AIRO, we’re aligning our business around the convergence of technologies that will define the future of aerospace: autonomy, connectivity, energy optimization, and intelligent systems. Collaborative efforts like MACADA exemplify our commitment to innovation and our belief that meaningful progress in AAM requires partnerships across industry and government. This project is yet another piece of the puzzle as we build a safer, smarter, and more sustainable air mobility future."

As a key contributor to AIRO Group’s AAM strategy, Jaunt Air Mobility Canada continues to advance its mission of delivering safe, quiet, and efficient aircraft for urban and regional mobility. Participation in MACADA reinforces Jaunt’s commitment to innovation and collaboration in shaping the future of flight.

"The MACADA initiative marks another milestone in the advancement of AIRO’s electric air mobility business unit," said Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Executive Chairman of AIRO. "It is incumbent upon companies in this space to help pave the path to safe operation—not just through technology, but through the frameworks that support it. Our collective team brings decades of experience working closely on NextGen technologies, certification pathways, and the integration and operational paradigms that bring new transportation systems to life. We understand that robust ecosystems must be in place to support these innovations, and MACADA is a prime example of how we’re helping shape that future."