Residents' concerns about the impact of nearby flight operations on their land value are especially relevant to urban air mobility as eVTOLs and cargo drones hope to operate in the heart of urban areas.
Robinson Helicopter says it will switch to electric power for its light helicopters when it “makes sense” and is closely watching progress being made by California-based Tier 1 Engineering on a battery-powered R44 conversion program.
Until there is more available data on what a stabilized approach is for an eVTOL aircraft, the FAA will maintain a conservative approach as to how vertiports should be safely built.
The U.S. Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General is to audit the FAA’s certification of urban air mobility aircraft at the request of Congress.
Spirit AeroSystems’ acquisition of the assets of Bombardier’s Short Brothers operation in Northern Ireland in 2020 has accelerated the company’s goal to diversify so it is less reliant on the commercial sector.
Over the course of two days, Aviation Week’s Advanced Air Mobility Report received word of three different agreements designed to attract and establish AAM in specific areas.
Eve Urban Air Mobility leads the advanced air mobility OEMs in orders, with 1,785, followed closely by Vertical Aerospace’s 1,350 orders and EHang’s 1,205 orders.
Volocopter has received a first tranche of $170 million in Series E financing, with additional investment in the pipeline as the German electric vertical takeoff and landing startup works toward launching urban air taxi service in 2024.
U.S. startup CoFlow Jet has struck an agreement with NASA to commercialize deflected-slipstream technology that would enable an electric vertical/short takeoff and landing (eV/STOL) aircraft to transition to efficient cruise without requiring tilting mechanisms or separate lift rotors.
South Korean startup Plana has unveiled plans to develop a hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi with the range to enable intercity flights and service entry planned for 2028.
The Workhorse Group may have sold off its SureFly electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi program to Moog, but the U.S. electric delivery truck maker is continuing to develop its Horsefly unmanned aircraft.
Electrifying short-range aviation in the Netherlands will be feasible by 2026, concludes a report by airport consultants NACO and national aerospace research agency Royal NLR.
Europe’s AiRMOUR research project to produce a tool kit for the introduction of urban air mobility has developed a geographical tool to help city planners “to think in three dimensions.”
Hyundai’s urban air mobility company, Supernal, is to work with Miami officials to develop policies for advanced air mobility that are designed to enable the city to serve as a model for other metropolitan areas.
As much of the aerospace and defense industry recoils from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, advanced air mobility remained a strong investment bet based not only on AAM but also on the probable uses of AAM aircraft in a military action.
Lilium is modifying the design of its electric air taxi, building a third demonstrator to accelerate flight testing and partnering with NetJets to offer the vertical takeoff Lilium Jet for private and business aviation.
Arkansas has joined the growing number of states seeking a position in advanced air mobility, forming the Arkansas Council on Future Mobility and relying heavily on mega-retailer Walmart to attract future AAM and ground mobility OEMs and businesses in their supply chains.
