It looks like a futuristic aircraft that would be flown by Batman or James Bond.
What makes the VX4 different however is not its exterior design but rather what is inside - batteries.
Developed by UK company Vertical Aerospace, the VX4 is an eVTOL, which stands for Electric Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft.
It is fully electric and so produces zero emissions.
The aircraft are still in the development phase but the company has received more than 1,400 pre-orders, including from Irish aircraft leasing company Avolon which in 2021 announced a $2 billion deal with Vertical for up to 500 eVTOLs.
"A game-changing development that will revolutionise air travel with zero emissions aircraft," is how Avolon described the technology at the time of the announcement.
Right now, Vertical's VX4 eVTOL is projected to be capable of transporting a pilot and up to four passengers, travelling distances of more than 100km.
But the company believes that is just the beginning.
"Over time, once you have shown that a battery can fly an aircraft and that is safe, then you can see all kinds of uses and applications for that," said Andrew Macmillan, Chief Strategy Officer, Vertical Aerospace.
"The batteries will keep getting better allowing for more people with more range."
"You can combine it with, for example, hydrogen and that would give you more range too or you could use it for hybrid uses on other aircraft so it's going to be a big step forward in taking the carbon out of flying," Mr Macmillan said.
And when it comes to taking the carbon out of flying, the clock is ticking.
Net-zero by 2050
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has set a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
"A potential scenario is that 65% of this will be abated through sustainable aviation fuels," said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General at the time of the net-zero announcement in 2021.
"We would expect new propulsion technology, such as hydrogen, to take care of another 13% and efficiency improvements will account for a further 3%."
"The remainder could be dealt with through carbon capture and storage and offsets," Mr Walsh said.
The industry is banking on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to play a big role in reaching its emissions targets.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel
Experts believe Ireland has the potential to become a leader in SAF production.
Aidan Bodkin is a Director with Sustainable Flight Solutions which is currently carrying out a study on the development of a commercial-scale SAF production facility in Ireland.
"Jet fuel is made out of kerosene and when it is burned it emits carbon, sustainable aviation fuel is made from sustainable feedstocks which produces up to 80% less emissions than conventional jet fuel," Mr Bodkin said.
There are two different types of SAF. The first is an advanced biofuel which comes from things like waste from agriculture and the alcohol industry as well as used cooking oil.
"The second type is synthetic jet fuel, which can come from electricity generated by wind turbines to create green hydrogen which is added to carbon to make jet fuel," Mr Bodkin said.
SAF is what is known as a "drop-in fuel", meaning it can be mixed with aviation fuel but currently SAF accounts for just 1% of all jet fuel used globally.
"Ireland can be a global leader in this field, we can change how aviation gets to net zero," Mr Bodkin said, pointing to the fact that some of the world's biggest airlines and aircraft leasing firms are based here.
"We have got fantastic biological, renewable resources in Ireland so we need to tap those resources and collaborate with industries such as agriculture and academic institutions," he said.
"We have a long and proud history in aviation and it is an advantage we should use," he added.
One of the problems facing SAF right now is a shortage of feedstocks used to make the fuel.
"The feedstocks are fragmented so we need collaboration between agriculture, energy, academic institutions and the Government," Mr Bodkin said.
There are those who believe the best way to cut down on aviation emissions is to cut down on the amount we fly.
'Rich people have to fly less'
Oisín Coghlan, Chief Executive, Friends of the Earth said aviation is currently around 2-3% of our total pollution, but that it is growing fast.
"There is no technological solution that gets us to zero pollution aviation now, we are going to have to reduce demand as well," Mr Coghlan said.
"That means halving the amount of corporate travel by aviation and limiting leisure travel, we need to stop airport expansion and start having a frequent flyer tax," he added.
"At the moment, no one is saying you can't have an annual holiday, but we are going to have to cut down on business travel, that is where the bulk of the pollution is."
"Half of all global aviation pollution comes from 1% of the world's population, that's where we have to start - rich people have to fly less," he said.
Carbon offsetting is another part of the sustainability journey that the aviation industry is relying on.
This would see airlines and passengers trying to neutralise carbon emissions by investing in carbon reduction projects such as tree planting.
"Carbon offsetting isn't going to cut it," according to Mr Coghlan.
"We can't be sure that trees you are planting will last the 20-30 years you need before they suck in the pollution and at the end of the day we have to reduce pollution overall and we can't all offset - we have to do some of the heavy lifting ourselves," he said.
Everyone agrees that the final destination for aviation needs to be zero emissions but the best way of getting there is still very much up in the air.
