Guardian Agriculture, a U.S. startup developing an autonomous crop protection aircraft, has secured a multimillion-dollar partnership with Wilbur-Ellis, a manufacturer of agriculture products and chemicals.
Australian regional airline Skytrans has partnered with local startup Stralis Aircraft to convert a 19-seat Beech 1900D turboprop to hydrogen-electric propulsion for flight trials in 2025.
China’s Duofo Group has acquired Italian ultralight helicopter manufacturer Fama Helicopters with the goal of expanding into uncrewed aircraft and electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.
Advanced air mobility publicly held companies are staying the course for a startup industry—a roller coaster that saw the average price increase by 15.8% a week ago and then fall by 19.8% this week.
Spanish unmanned-aircraft manufacturer Umiles has unveiled a concept prototype of an electric air-taxi and its design for a piloted two-passenger production aircraft, the Integrity3. A single-seat design, but remotely piloted, the prototype is planned to fly mid-year.
The advanced-air-mobility supply base is widening, with Airbus selecting automotive industry players KLK Motorsport and M&F Gerg to design and produce the rear fuselage of the CityAirbus NextGen electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing air taxi.
Tokyo-based startup Tetra Aviation has secured ¥450 million yen ($3.3 million) to continue development of its Mk-5 personal electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft.
Regional carrier Mokulele Airlines has been named the launch partner in Hawaii for Regent’s 12-passenger Viceroy seaglider, an electric wing-in-ground-effect transport for dock-to-dock overwater routes.
The uncrewed aircraft division of Kenya Airways, Fahari Aviation, has signed a letter of intent with Embraer spinoff Eve for up to 40 electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft.
Netherlands’ electric aircraft startup Venturi Aviation has closed a €3.4 million ($3.6 million) funding round and unveiled a new name, Maeve Aerospace.
By Carole Rickard Hedden, Michael Bruno, Graham Warwick
For new space and advanced air mobility startups, the past two years have been a heady experience of investment, mergers with special purpose acquisition companies and high-risk plays into segments of the aerospace and defense industry that were mere dreams a decade ago. As the economy changes, Aviation Week editors discuss what comes next.
Swedish startup Heart Aerospace is switching to European CS-25 large-airplane certification of its ES-19 electric regional aircraft, from the CS-23 commuter category, to reduce regulatory risk and expand the potential market.
Soaring jet fuel prices are testing the resilience of the aviation sector—and the leisure travelers who have powered the industry over the past two years. Is this good news for advanced air mobility?
The advanced air mobility industry is expanding beyond short-range urban air mobility (UAM), as reflected by the first appearance of a conventional electric aircraft on the AAM Reality Index. The index, created by SMG Consulting in partnership with Aviation Week, ranks leading advanced air mobility companies on a scale of 0-10, with 10 indicating a company whose plans to produce an AAM aircraft are most likely.
South Korean conglomerate Hanwha has invested an additional $115 million in U.S. urban air mobility startup Overair, which is developing the Butterfly tiltrotor electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi.
Hybrid-electric propulsion startup Ampaire has partnered with sustainable infrastructure developer Black & Veatch to electrify airports to support the deployment of advanced air mobility.
Building on its involvement in a UK project that set a speed record for electric aircraft, energy storage specialist Electroflight has introduced a battery system designed to be available off the shelf for use in the early development of electric aircraft.
Advanced air mobility companies have a critical advantage over legacy aerospace business as they transition into manufacturing, according to the leader of Deloitte’s U.S. aerospace and defense consultancy.
Lilium has completed the preliminary design review for its seven-seat electric air taxi, finalizing changes intended to extend the range that can be extracted from the Lilium Jet’s battery system.
