3 weeks ago
Bengaluru Startup Unveils Autonomous Seaplane to Cut Cargo Costs
Aspera, a startup from Bengaluru, has announced a new cargo aircraft called Eureka.
Eureka is designed to fly by itself and carry up to 1,000 kilograms of goods.
It can take off and land on water instead of needing an airport runway.
The company says the aircraft could travel up to 2,000 kilometers.
Aspera wants it to make flying cargo much cheaper.
The company says shipping by sea is cheaper but can take weeks.
It expects Eureka to cost less than $1 for moving one tonne of goods one kilometer.
At larger scale, Aspera expects the cost to drop below 50 cents.
Aspera CEO Khushi Mittal announced Eureka, an autonomous cargo seaplane designed to reduce air-freight costs.
Eureka is designed to carry a 1,000-kilogram payload at 6,500 feet above mean sea level.
The aircraft has a stated range of 2,000 kilometers and uses water as a runway.
Aspera says Eureka could deliver cargo for less than $1 per tonne-kilometer initially.
The company expects fleet-scale costs to fall below 50 cents per tonne-kilometer.
- Who
- Aspera and its CEO, Khushi Mittal.
- What
- The announcement of Eureka, an autonomous seaplane designed to transport cargo at lower costs.
- Where
- By a Bengaluru-based startup; the aircraft is designed to operate from water.
- When
- August 29, 2026, when the announcement was posted on social media.
- Why
- To reduce the cost and waiting time associated with moving goods by air and sea.
Key facts
- Aircraft
- Eureka, Aspera’s first aircraft
- Payload
- Designed to carry 1,000 kilograms
- Range
- 2,000 kilometers
- Operating altitude
- 6,500 feet above mean sea level
- Initial target cost
- Less than $1 per tonne-kilometer
- Fleet-scale target
- Below 50 cents per tonne-kilometer
- Water access
- Designed to use water as a runway
Quotes
Khushi Mittal
CEO of Aspera and spokesperson for the Eureka seaplane project
“At those numbers, for everything urgent, perishable, or valuable, flying stops being a luxury and starts being the default. Our mission is simply to create a world where the cost of not is flying higher than the cost of flying.”
businesstoday.in
“For generations, we've pushed the limits of what flight can do. Yet moving goods still comes with a compromise. The sea takes weeks and flying costs too much.”
businesstoday.in
Sources
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