Airbus’ High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) connectivity business becomes AALTO HAPS

Airbus’ record-breaking High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) connectivity business has become AALTO HAPS (AALTO) ahead of an entry into service by the end of 2024. In 2022, following the successful connectivity flight trial completed a year earlier for NTT Docomo using its lightweight Zephyr aircraft, Airbus carved-out the business as a 100% owned subsidiary to evolve the Zephyr programme into a fully-fledged services business.

The unveiling of the AALTO brand is a significant step towards that objective. AALTO will deliver mobile connectivity and earth observations solutions for commercial and government customers, using the record-breaking 100% solar-electric Zephyr platform.

Samer Halawi, AALTO’S CEO said: “AALTO’s Zephyr aircraft is the only HAPS platform that delivers long-lasting, environmentally-friendly low latency 5G Direct-to-Device (D2D) connectivity solutions, allowing MNOs (mobile network operators) to extend their coverage in a profitable way to rural and remote areas. Furthermore, our earth observation solutions will support the management of forest fires, the protection of borders, and will enable precision agriculture, amongst other applications. For AALTO, the future is stratospheric”.

The Zephyr platform has evolved dramatically over the past 20 years, with development accelerating in the past few years. With deep expertise from Airbus, the design of the aircraft has enabled it to break multiple world records, most importantly for unrefuelled flight duration. On its last flight campaign in 2022, Zephyr flew for over 64 days, non-stop, in the stratosphere, at around 70,000 feet (21,336 metres) and for a distance that is equivalent to two thirds of the distance to the Moon. Zephyr has established itself as the world’s leading HAPS platform, and to this day remains the only fixed-wing HAPS to have proven day and night longevity in the stratosphere.