Fuel-cell developer and green-hydrogen producer Plug Power has announced partnerships with both Airbus and startup Airflow to bring zero-emission hydrogen propulsion to aviation.
The state of Ohio will be home to the new National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, funded through a $6 million grant from the U.S. Defense Department.
Already a major market for helicopters, Brazil is shaping up as a potential promising region for advanced air mobility if conditional aircraft orders are a guide.
Embraer and its EmbraerX market accelerator have made a number of announcements in the past week—all signaling a drive to play in the advanced air mobility market.
The lineup of commitments for almost 4,000 aircraft so far assembled by the nascent electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing industry paints an interesting picture of the potential customer base.
Where several of its rival electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) developers have chosen to be vertically integrated, Vertical Aerospace is relying on Tier 1 suppliers funding their own technology development work in return for gaining access to a new aviation market.
The companies say they will work together to accelerate the entry of Pyka’s autonomous aircraft into the precision agriculture sector and “pursue opportunities to scale commercial services as autonomous aircraft operations in Brazil evolve in the coming years.”
Looking to gain experience and revenue from an earlier market entry, UK startup Samad Aerospace plans to develop manned and unmanned versions of a half-scale model built to flight test the configuration of the company’s planned e-Starling hybrid-electric vertical-takeoff business aircraft.
After announcing a joint venture in June, startup Xeriant has agreed to merge with XTI Aircraft in a bid to secure the funding needed to develop the TriFan 600 hybrid-electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing business aircraft.
The startup has decided it wants to start flying people as soon as possible and so will certify the autonomous single-seat Heaviside H2 now in flight testing as its entry into the market.
Helicopter operator Bristow Group has announced a partnership with Vertical Aerospace to explore electric vertical-takeoff aircraft while Avolon is partnering with Brazilian airline GOL and transportation provider Grupo Comporte to commercialize an eVTOL ride-sharing platform in Brazil.
Aviation Week’s Advanced Air Mobility Report to date has covered the projects and companies that are staking ground in a market that they, themselves, are creating.
Israel’s Urban Aeronautics has secured an initial $10 million of the at least $100 million it needs to raise through a Series A funding round to support development of the CityHawk vertical-takeoff air taxi.
Shareholders in Atlas Crest Investment approved the blank-check company’s reverse merger with urban air mobility startup Archer Aviation in a Sept. 14 vote.
Iris Automation continues its string of dealmaking, signing on as a partner with Australia’s Swoop Aero to offer beyond-visual-line-of-sight systems on the global advanced air mobility market.
