Electric aircraft pioneer Pipistrel has teamed with unmanned aircraft specialist C-Astral Aerospace to expand the capability of the in-development Nuuva V20 cargo drone to encompass intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
A South Korean team including an airport operator, air-taxi developer and communications provider has been formed to commercialize urban air mobility in the country beginning in 2025.
As it ramps up plans to launch its regional air mobility service, German startup Lilium has partnered with airport constructor and operator Ferrovial to develop and operate a network of at least 10 vertiports across Florida.
Autonomous cargo aircraft startup Elroy Air has joined NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign project and will exchange information leading up to flight tests in 2022.
Flying Ship is a U.S. startup that plans to modernize the Russian ekranoplan ground-effect vehicle concept and bring unmanned aircraft technology to maritime logistics while avoiding the onerous burden of aerospace regulation.
The burgeoning urban air mobility sector is poised to open up private air travel to unprecedented markets. But benefits will only be maximized if decisions are made now to ensure UAM systems are accessible to the disabled, experts say.
The FAA expects to certify the first of a new generation of advanced or urban air mobility (AAM/UAM) aircraft later in 2021 and says regulations will be in place in time for initial piloted electric vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) operations to begin as early as 2023.
While it has a large potential domestic market for advanced air mobility, the U.S. needs a clear national strategy if it is to lead this new market globally, a report by consultants Deloitte and the Aerospace Industries Association says.
As the UK launches a series of projects under its Future Flight Challenge, a new study highlights the potential socio-economic benefits of an integrated aviation system built on freight-carrying drones, urban air taxis and hybrid-electric regional aircraft.
A digital blueprint for a medical delivery drone network that could connect hospitals, laboratories and surgeries across Scotland is to be developed under an 18-month project begun in December.
Single European Sky ATM Research, the organization coordinating European air traffic management research, has launched a project to develop and test a concept of operations for urban air transport of passengers and cargo.
Airbus Helicopters has adapted an H130 light helicopter as a flying laboratory to test technology for urban air mobility, hybrid-electric flight and new flight safety systems.
Bell has flight tested a different configuration for its Autonomous Pod Transport unmanned cargo aircraft to show that the vehicle design is flexible and can be scaled and customized for potential customers.
Transporting passengers between London City and London Heathrow Airports is one potential application of urban air mobility in the UK that will be studied by a consortium led by Eve, the spinoff from EmbraerX.
Vehicle developers ranging from Airbus to startup Ascendance Flight Technologies are among 30 companies that have been selected to participate in urban air mobility testing in Paris beginning in June.
Counting drones among his final priorities as U.S. president, Donald Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 18 that directs the heads of federal agencies to determine if they have legal authority to stop using, acquiring or funding the purchase of foreign-made unmanned aircraft systems.
AeroVironment on Jan. 13 announced its second major acquisition in as many months, unveiling a deal to buy Arcturus UAV, a privately-held provider of Group 2 and 3 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and contractor-owned services to military customers.
Retired Airbus CEO Thomas Enders has joined the board of Lilium, adding the weight of his reputation to the German startup’s ambitious plans to launch a regional air mobility service by 2025.
