Celebrating its second anniversary, A³ —Airbus’ innovation outpost in Silicon Valley — is already deeply involved in transforming the aerospace industry.

In this interview, A³ CEO Rodin Lyasoff talks about projects such as Voom, its air taxi business in Brazil; Transpose, its modular approach to aircraft cabins; and Vahana, its fully autonomous, vertical take-off and landing passenger and cargo vehicle that will demonstrate a full-scale prototype by the end of 2017.

He also discusses the unit’s approach to airspace management and how it is looking to develop a comprehensive solution that will accommodate not just today’s aircraft but also drones and aircraft of the future. “We recognise that urban air mobility is more than just a vehicle, it requires an entire ecosystem and infrastructure to support it.”

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