CASA, the Civil Air Safety board of Australia, recently disclosed their timeline for the advancement of aerial mobility. Companies such as Skyportz in Australia are making moves to be well positioned for the future expansion of some of the aerial mobility use cases defined in the timeline.

Pip Spence, CEO of CASA, said of the released white paper: “we brought in RPAS legislation ahead of many other countries and we continued to sharpen our focus on emerging technology over the years. We are committed to advancing these pioneering technologies and see this roadmap as a priority as we  frame the future of Australian aviation.”

The announcement builds on the New and Emerging Aviation Technologies white paper, which is supported by a $32.6M grant fund. This fund is open to both local and international companies wanting assistance to trial, test and bring their activities to Australian shores. 

Skyportz is the sole vertiport firm in Australia, and has been working for 4 years to encourage the development of Advanced Air Mobility policy at all levels of Government, particularly in the space of essential vertiport  infrastructure. 

“We were one of the industry players that was invited to contribute to this CASA timeline document and we are so pleased with the clarity this will provide to the industry”, said Clem Newton-Brown, CEO of Skyportz. 

Skyportz has over 400 potential sites owned by property partners wanting to get a  first mover advantage in this emerging industry. 

Why it’s important: Local relations and an established footprint are crucial components of any successful vertiport campaign, and companies such as Skyports are establishing inroads in the locales where there are few competitors. Some aerial mobility OEMs are working to vertically integrate vertiport infrastructure, with varied degrees of success. In many OEMs’ home countries, integration and vertiport construction efforts are quite efficient, but political and private partnerships in other locations will require more coordination and challenge the two camps (horizontal and vertical integration) of the infrastructure of aerial mobility.

Learn more about the roadmap here: https://www.casa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-06/the-rpas-and-aam-roadmap.pdf

Skyportz, the Australian eVTOL vertiport developer, has announced plans to expand its footprint in takeoff and landing sites throughout the country. Skyportz, created out of the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to convert lost demand for commercial parking spaces into vertiports. In turn, this would provide potential revenue and business opportunities to real estate investors who would otherwise see dwindling returns in the commercial space.

“While there will always be a need for car parking in our cities, it may be that the demand is not going to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels,” says Skyportz founder and CEO, Clem Newton-Brown. “Car parks are ideal locations for Skyportz facilities. They are generally located in places people want to go, and they are constructed to a standard that can take the weight of vehicles on flat rooftops.”

The company recently announced a partnership with Secure Parking, where it will have access to over 400 rooftops on existing facilities in and around city-center business districts.

“Skyportz is the first vertiport aspirant to actually put the cards on the table with what sites we have access to. We are not focusing on demonstrator landing sites; we are assembling the network of sites that will be needed to make [air taxis] a viable business,” said Newton-Brown.

The company is already making progress with the Australian government to develop regulations and laws surrounding the development and operation of eVTOL landing facilities.

“There is strong political support to develop a new era in clean, green electric aviation in Australia,” added Newton-Brown, who is a former Victoria state legislator. “However, we are waiting on federal standards and new state regulations to be developed before we can proceed to build the network. Community support for this new era in aviation is going to be essential and we expect that services will start outside urban areas in the initial phase, with the first electric aircraft becoming operational in the next few years.”

Why it matters: Infrastructure is a critical component of making aerial mobility a reality. The COVID pandemic has yet again offered opportunities to create the needed infrastructure as business demand shifts. Expect to see investments like this one around the world as manufacturers begin commercial service and operation of their vehicles.

Aviation business Microflite and electric air taxi infrastructure start up Skyportz announced a partnership on August 30th to lay foundations for expanded air taxi infrastructure in Australia. Microflite operates Australia’s largest fleet of helicopters, servicing various sectors including tourism, charter, search and rescue, firefighting and pilot training.

Skyportz is working with property owners to establish the landing infrastructure required for the introduction of electric air taxis. Both Microflite and Skyportz plan to work with all new electric aircraft as they move through certification. Rod Higgins, General Manager of Microflite said, “Microflite operates a range of different aircraft and we intend to be at the forefront of the industry as it morphs into cleaner and quieter electric propulsion. We can forsee that many of our tourist operations will be very well suited to electric aviation”. “With quieter operations we believe there will be opportunities to operate from the new range of landing sites that Skyportz is assembling”. “The Skyportz partnership will enable us to rapidly grow our tourism business to new destinations. We will be able to take on new electric aircraft into our fleet as soon as they are available to operate on the Skyportz network”, Mr Higgins said.

Clem Newton-Brown, CEO and founder of Skyportz has been working on the critical landing infrastructure component to enable Advanced Air Mobility for some years. He is Chair of the Advanced Air Mobility working group of the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems and serves on the NASA working group and a Federal committee investigating new and emerging aviation technologies. “There is no doubt we are headed for a revolution in micro-aviation. The aircraft are coming and there is support at a Federal and State level for Australia to be a world leader in Advanced Air Mobility”’ Mr Newton-Brown said.

“It is not going to be the technology which holds up the advance of electric air taxis and freight drones. It is having enough pilots and places to land which will be the impediment which will limit the potential for Advanced Air Mobility” “Microflite and Skyportz are focusing on these bottlenecks and creating the ecosystem which will attract aircraft manufacturers that want to enter the Australian market” he said. Microflite and Skyportz are already assisting various air taxi start ups in establishing concepts of operations in Australia for their aircraft and they look forward to helping them to get established utilizing their infrastructure and support.

The first air taxi summit in Australia commences in Melbourne this week and has attracted global players in this emerging industry.

Why it’s important: While aircraft manufacturing partnerships are becoming increasingly common between OEM’s and companies with direct-aviation related products, partnerships that focus on infrastructure pairings are few and far between. Real estate equity groups and those familiar with aviation operations such as on-demand helicopter and aircraft charter service BLADE UAM in the United States are well poised to succeed in offering large networks of vertiports across nations (and even continents). Whether those networks will be open source or privatized for paid use by owners and/or operators remains to be seen, and is a key component of understanding the mechanics of future on-demand air taxi operations.

Sources // Microflite; Skyportz

Skyportz is adding properties to begin building landing sites for aerial taxis in Australia.

Concept art from Skyportz

Skyportz, based in Melbourne, Australia is a company dedicated to helping buildings and properties ready themselves for eVTOL air taxis operations. The company’s mission is develop the necessary infrastructure to make aerial mobility a reality. Most recently, Skyportz was joined by Parking Australia, which represents the majority of parking structure companies in the country.

The partnership with Skyportz will lay the groundwork for Australia’s parking companies to begin updating properties to support eVTOL operations, both cargo and passenger. As of last Summer, Uber Elevate, which is developing a global eVTOL air taxi network, selected Melbourne as its first international city for launch in 2023.

According to Skyportz CEO and Founder Clem Newton-Brown:

“Space is at a premium in our cities and this partnership will enable Skyportz to develop a comprehensive network of sites across Australia in preparation for the aerial mobility revolution which is almost here.”

Uber’s vision for aerial mobility in Melbourne. Commercial operations are expected to launch 2023.

Parking Australia CEO Stuart Norman said:

“With the future changing modes of mobility the commercial car parking industry is well placed to provide the infrastructure needs of new mobility, including autonomous vehicles, electric charging and electric Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft landing pads.”

“This agreement with Skyportz will give our members the opportunity to be an integral part of this new transportation revolution and to lead the world,” 

Another concept for a rooftop eVTOL vertiport concept from Arup and Pickard Chilton.

Related: Wing, Alphabet’s Delivery Drones, Set for Finland Launch in 2019

Why it’s important: As aerial mobility networks edge closer to reality, local business operations are preparing for their arrival. Skyportz has begun forming important partnerships for the future, and the latest partnership with Parking Australia represents a positive sign for community acceptance. Through this partnership, Melbourne can take significant steps to begin building eVTOL infrastructure.

AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. (AIRO) today announced that it has confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) relating to the proposed initial public offering of its common stock.

In October of 2021, Jaunt Air Mobility made an initial announcement that the company was joining AIRO Group as a means of pursuing an IPO in 2022.

The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. The registration statement is expected to become effective after the SEC completes its review process, subject to market and other conditions.

Announced last month during the EAA AirVenture Airshow in Oshkosh, AIRO Group has also completed the mergers of six well-aligned global aerospace firms to form a cohesive mid-market aerospace and defense company. AIRO is now in the midst of advancing an ecosystem of aerospace technologies and operational capabilities built with an expertise of successful certification and a proven track record of safety and efficiency.

AIRO’s Electric Air Mobility division is leading with its Jaunt Journey aircraft and is working with Transport Canada towards certification under Chapter 529: Transport Category Rotorcraft. With nearly 300 flight hours and well over 1000 takeoffs and landings, Jaunt touts the Journey’s Slowed Rotor Compound technology to be the safest and quietest eVTOL in certification.

Why it’s important: Under the leadership of industry veteran CEO, Joe Burns, AIRO has aligned its business into four divisions that complete its aerospace and defense offering; Advanced Avionics, Electric Air Mobility, Commercial Drones, and Training. With well-known brands like Aspen Avionics and Jaunt Air Mobility, AIRO is leveraging its core business successes to launch its global portfolio. This will supplement Jaunt’s announcements of contracts and strategic partnerships as AIRO nears its IPO and prospective stockholders assess the company’s valuation.

With strong capital backing of the unified company, a significant book of existing business, and strong pull from its core global market sectors, AIRO has its sights set on accelerated growth via key acquisitions across all divisions.

Related: L&T Technology Services is Awarded $100 million to Manufacture Jaunt Air Mobility Aircraft

Source // Jaunt Air Mobility press release

Addressing the next generation of AI-enabled sensing solutions, MatrixSpace announced completion of $10.1M in private investor funding with secured enterprise and government customers in place on August 10th.

MatrixSpace is a company that has developed a real-time edge-based sensing with AI. From their recent press release, “MatrixSpace’s ability to combine industry leading sensing, AI edge processing and RF communication in real-time is a major technology breakthrough with multiple vertical market applications.”

MatrixSpace was founded in late 2019 in Burlington Massachusetts and has assembled a proven US-based leadership team from the RF, radar, artificial intelligence, and autonomy sectors.  

Greg Waters is co-founder and executive chair, focused on the semiconductor and networking markets. He is a Director at Cyxtera Technologies, onsemi, Sierra Wireless, and Mythic AI. Waters was previously President and CEO at Integrated Device Technology, and he has held leadership roles at Skyworks Solutions, Agere Systems, and Texas Instruments.  

Co-founder and chief scientist Dr José Martínez Lorenzo is associate professor at Northeastern University and was an NSF Early CAREER recipient for his work in 4D mm-Wave Compressive Sensing and Imaging at One Thousand Volumetric Frames per Second. Matthew Kling is VP Autonomous Systems and Dan Nobbe is VP of RF and Radar Systems, holding over 50 patents in mobile and RF communications. 

Why it’s important: MatrixSpace’s recent funding close will help the company further develop and refine their IP, as well as start marketing their offerings to many flight control guidance and autonomous systems OEM’s that are seeking refined image processing and stratification tools for their aircraft. If proven robust enough for widespread commercial implementation, MatrixSpace’s IP is incredibly valuable; an efficient plug-and-play edge processing system, coupled with sound flight control logic and decision making once traffic conflicts have been detected, will be integral to detect and avoid (DAA systems).

Joby Aviation has announced an expansion of its existing contract with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program that increases the contract’s potential value by more than $45 million.

Building on more than five years of engagement with defense agencies, the expanded contract leverages Joby’s years of research and technology development and will include new testing to evaluate Joby’s advanced technologies. It brings the potential value of the total contract to more than $75 million.

The contract also widens the company’s defense partnerships to include the U.S. Marine Corps, which will participate in government-directed flight tests and use case exploration, including resupply, relocation of personnel, and emergency medical response applications.

“As we work toward our goal of launching a passenger ridesharing service, we’re grateful for the support of our defense partners. This extension provides valuable support for our ongoing development efforts and allows our partners to see first-hand the potential for this aircraft in their future concept of operations” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.

Joby’s engagement with government partners bolsters the company’s primary goal of launching a commercial passenger service by providing access to testing facilities, early operational experience for government customers, and a partial offset to research and development costs.

On August 3, 2022, Joby attended the White House Summit on Advanced Air Mobility, which convened industry, government agencies, and military personnel to discuss how to advance U.S. leadership in this new technological area.

With the expansion of Joby’s contract, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps all have now identified eVTOL aircraft as a critical area of interest.

Joby’s eVTOL aircraft in flight

In 2020, Joby became the first eVTOL developer to receive military airworthiness approval for its pre-production prototype aircraft. With a maximum range of 150 miles, Joby’s piloted, emissions-free aircraft can transport four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph with an extremely quiet acoustics profile.

Why it matters: This announcement more than doubles Joby’s contract with the DoD. As the armed forces gain interest in studying eVTOL applications and use cases, expect to see more spending on aerial mobility. This effect will no doubt fuel the development curve and have trickling effects into the commercial eVTOL space.

Source: Joby Press Release

Archer, developer of an fully electric, passenger-carrying eVTOL, announced on August 10th that United Airlines has paid the company a $10M deposit for 100 of its initial production aircraft.

In a historic move this week, United Airlines became one of the world’s first major airplanes to make an official pre-purchase of a set of eVTOL aircraft. United originally formed a partnership with Archer in 2021, nearly simultaneously to the company’s launch on the New York Stock Exchange. Since then, United has continued to broaden its partnership with Archer, making further agreements towards commercial operations in May of this year.

This move marks a highly competitive approach by United Airlines, as American Airlines only last month announced an official financial commitment for delivery slots of Vertical Aerospace’s VX4 aircraft.

Archer’s ‘Maker’ is fully electric, with a range capability of 60 miles per flight at speeds of 150mph. According statements by United, the company envisions using the Maker to provide efficient, comfortable, and convenient air transportation within cities around the globe.

A prototype of Archer’s ‘Maker’ on the runway

According to a recent press release, Archer recently completed its production aircraft’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and is now advancing to the next stage of its commercialization efforts. The PDR lays out all aspects of the aircraft’s manufacturing requirements and specifications, necessary pre-conditions for regulatory compliance and market viability. It also ensures that that the development program is on track and the design is mature enough to proceed to the next development phase and kick-off of production of long lead time hardware.

Said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s CEO, “I am incredibly proud of the entire Archer team as we reach this milestone in our partnership with United Airlines. To receive a cash deposit is validation of Archer’s achievements to date, not only with flight testing and product development, but also a great signal of confidence in our roadmap to commercialization. We’re thankful to United for their continued partnership as we usher in this new era in air travel.”

Said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures, “This announcement marks a new important phase in our relationship with Archer, and our commitment to EVTOL technology. We are witnessing an inflection point where consumers, businesses, and policymakers are all aligned to prioritize technology that reduces the impact of climate change. We believe eVTOLs have the potential to both help achieve carbon-neutral travel and serve as an innovative new tool to change how United customers experience comfort, convenience, and efficiency during their commutes within cities across the globe”

Why it’s important:  United’s decision to place a cash deposit for so many of Archer’s eVTOL aircraft signals its desire to be one of the first airline operators to commercialize eVTOL aircraft, additionally lending a high level of extra credibility to the growing eVTOL industry as a whole. Following this commitment, the industry may expect a surge of renewed interest and growing investment, especially as American airlines recently made a similar commitment to Vertical Aerospace’s VX4.

Source // Archer

Related:

• Archer Aviation Goes Public on NYSE (September 2021)
• Archer Aviation’s ‘Maker’ eVTOL aircraft completes first hover flight (December 2021)
• American Airlines Solidifies Delivery Slots for Vertical Aerospace eVTOL Aircraft (July 2021)
• Archer, United Airlines Partner on eVTOL Operations (May 2022)

Blueflite, a new eVTOL company developing mid-size autonomous UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), has awarded a mobility testing grand from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Blueflite’s mid-size UAV concept

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, an organization responsible for business development, job awareness and community development in collaboration with the state government, has created an effort to accelerate the development of electric mobility technologies in the State. In partnership with the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrifications and the Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium, the organization has now provided over $100,000 USD investment matches with Blueflite to develop its aircraft.

Founded in 2018, Blueflite is developing a ‘workhorse drone’ for affordable deliveries, naming its full product as a ‘drone based logistics platform’. Blueflite envisions its product providing affordable, cost-effective deliveries of items like as prepared food, groceries, spare parts for energy and maritime industries, and re-supply and other logistics operations in remote locations. In particular, Blueflite claims that its aircraft could reduce costs by a factor of 5 as compared to current road-based solutions for many of these last mile services.

Said James McClearen, CTO of Blueflite, “What we are building here is cutting-edge robotics technology to enable the transport of goods via drone. It combines advanced AI software, novel materials, and lightweight design. Blueflite’s technology went through a several year development cycle and is increasingly seeing commercialization.”

Dr Noppel, CEO of Blueflite, commented, “Michigan is a premier location for young companies like us to scale, commercialize and grow mobility technologies. Our technology is ready as the drone industry is gaining in momentum.”

Watch a video of Blueflite’s small-scale prototype in flight below:

Why it’s important: As eVTOL and autonomous aerial mobility technologies edge closer to reality, some U.S states are taking action to ensure that they are at the forefront of this new economic industry. Notably, companies in other countries such as EHang in China, and Germany’s Volocopter are beginning to develop these new technologies, meaning that parts of the U.S government would do well to begin laying this groundwork. Blueflite’s product, while in early development, has a well thought-out design that remains realistic for near-future commercialization while still providing excellent function and clear economic value.

Source // Blueflite, Michigan Economic Development Corporation

Related:

• EHang Unveils Heavy-lift AAV for Short-to-Medium-Haul Aerial Logistics (October 2020)
• Mayman Aerospace debuts Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV) at Draper Venture CEO Summit (July 2022)
• Wingcopter Set to Deploy 12,000 Delivery Drones in Africa (May 2022)
• FedEx to Test Autonomous Drone Cargo Delivery with Elroy Air (April 2022)
• Skyports to Bring BVLOS Drone Deliveries to Latin America (October 2021)
• Volocopter and DB Schenker Conduct First Proof of Concept for VoloDrone Operations (July 2021)

NASA recently signed a Space Act Agreement with San Francisco-based Zipline to pursue a future vision of U.S. aviation that includes delivery drones and air taxis.

To fully realize this vision, NASA researchers are developing tools and techniques to enable m:N operations – where a small number of humans (m) effectively manage many autonomous vehicles (N). This research includes close coordination with the aviation community to understand industry and public needs for these types of operations.

“These collaborations are quite important,” said Kelley Hashemi, the technical lead for autonomous systems at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California. “It’s critical for NASA to gather the community’s input in order to achieve meaningful progress towards this future vision of U.S. aviation.”

Zipline, an instant logistics company that makes deliveries via drone, currently uses m:N operations to transport medical supplies and consumer goods in Northwest Arkansas, Japan, Ghana, and Rwanda. Zipline wants to continue to give back to the aviation community by sharing its lessons learned.

Through this partnership, NASA will use Zipline’s experience to find solutions for broadly implementing m:N operations in the U.S. airspace. In return, Zipline can leverage NASA’s tools and research to determine what is needed to expand its fleet operations in the United States.

“Public-private cooperation is essential to expanding drone delivery and unlocking its benefits for more people,” said Conor French, general counsel of Zipline. “This partnership is an important step in that direction. We’re excited to work with NASA to accelerate growth in drone delivery, both in the U.S. and abroad.”

Zipline also engages in NASA’s m:N working group – a collaboration among government, industry, and academia to identify and reduce m:N operation barriers.

The working group considers a variety of use cases and addresses barriers such as technical, regulatory, safety assurance, and community acceptance. This collaboration will advance the scalability of future U.S. airspace by laying the groundwork for a new operational paradigm.

Why it’s important: These types of initiatives, which require coordination with the aviation community to gauge public demand, are key to realizing a vision of advanced air mobility and implementing various operations across the U.S. This effort is just one example of how NASA’s Transformational Tools and Technologies project delivers innovative solutions through foundational research and cross-cutting tools.

Source // NASA press release by Diana Fitzgerald – Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate

Applied intelligence company Daedalean announced late last week that they intend to stand up an office in Phoenix, AZ to add to their current offices in Switzerland and Latvia. This move now opens the US office to serve the region of North and South America.

The company is naming industry tech and sales veteran Dr. Yemaya Bordain as President of its Americas business, trusting her to lead innovation and partnership efforts at the new office. The business development titan joins Daedalean after more than seven years as Global Sales Director at Intel Corporation.

“We have an opportunity to transform the aviation and transportation industries. Daedalean is leading the charge in creating a world where we’ll be keeping up with the Jetsons as we skip over traffic jams in autonomous and situationally-aware aircraft. I am so thrilled to be joining their pioneering team. It is an exciting challenge to play a key role in achieving this future,” says Yemaya Bordain. 

Dr. Bordain joins Daedalean as a recognized business leader in the embedded aerospace and defense industry and an expert in the safety certification of multi-core avionics systems. She architected and grew the global adoption of Intel’s product offerings addressing safety in the aerospace industry. She managed industry-leading advances in partnership with top global OEMs, including Lockheed-Martin Corporation, Collins Aerospace, Indra Sistemas, and Mercury Systems. Bordain will lead the new office and foster a robust US presence that will serve as a springboard for partnerships, business opportunities, and furthering relationships with American corporations, business leaders, and regulators. 

Since launching in 2016, Daedalean has been at the forefront of developing AI software for autonomous flight control for civil aircraft and urban air mobility. The superior perception and advanced flight control software in the air brings more safety to the space that was long dependent on a humans-only cockpit. 

Alongside American partners, the company has already added an exciting jolt to the US aerospace sector, creating a direct market path to bring the first-ever machine learning-based avionics systems. 

Since its inception, Daedalean’s team has also worked with aviation regulators, developing relationships on both sides of the Atlantic and publishing joint reports with EASA and the FAA. 

To drive their ambitious work, Daedalean boasts a team of more than 90 people with expertise in machine learning and computer vision, aviation-grade software engineering, flight testing, safety assessment, and certification. The publicly disclosed total amount of financing for the company up to date is $72 million.

Why it’s important: Daedalean’s move to stand up an office in the United States allows for a greater sphere of influence for the company as they work to broaden the application scope of their guidance products. Further, their recent appointment of Dr. Bordain to lead Americas activities for the company should take advantage of professional relationships with the technology landscape domestically in the US and within North and South America, while also building Daedaleans’ book of business with customers outside of Europe.

The AIR ONE, a two-seater eVTOL made for private ownership, has completed successful hover tests of a full-scale prototype of the aircraft.

Above: A full-scale prototype of the AIR ONE takes flight in northern Israel

AIR, an Israeli company, has been developing the AIR ONE for several years, with the vision of ‘Making the Ultimate Freedom of Flying Accessible.’ The AIR ONE is one of the few eVTOL aircraft in development designed for private ownership and use. Its small size allows it to fit in the common driveway or garage with its wings folded, while still retaining the ability to take-off and land fully vertically, and fly at about 150 mph for for about 110 miles per flight.

AIR was founded with the intent of making flying more accessible to more people, setting the price tag of its aircraft at about $150,000 USD. The AIR ONE prototype has now successfully completed a hover test after its airworthiness certificate. According to recent press release, the AIR ONE completed multiple hovers throughout the day and the following two weeks, safely lifting off, hovering in place, and returning to the ground, performing optimally in a stable flight envelope.

In the hover test, all of the aircraft’s systems functioned as designed, providing full control and stability. Notably, the AIR ONE’s energy use during flight was exactly as predicted, demonstrating its ability to execute expected performance metrics. AIR plans to expand to full flight envelope testing throughout 2022.

Rani Plaut, CEO & Co-founder of AIR, said, “It was truly awe-inspiring to watch AIR ONE lift off the ground for the first time. We’ve been on this upward journey for nearly five years and cannot wait for the public to join us on this ride. his momentous milestone secures AIR’s spot as a market leader in the personal air mobility space, making the thrill of flight achievable on a daily basis. We look forward to continued growth as we launch into the next phase of development.”

Why it’s Important: This hover flight tests marks significant market leadership for the AIR ONE. While many companies are designing larger aircraft capable of acting as air taxis, The AIR ONE is a leader in the market for private eVTOL ownership. By completing this flight test and certification milestone, the AIR team proves its ability to complete its goals and vision, adding a great deal of extra credibility to its path to market. As the AIR ONE continues to meet production timeline goals, followers can expect an increase in pre-orders and in general interest for the private-use eVTOL market.

Source AIR, Cision PR Newswire

Related:

• AIR ONE Prototype Showcased at Kentucky Derby (May 2022)
• AIR CEO Discusses AIR ONE’s Role in Aerial Mobility (January 2022)
• Israel-based AIR Unveils its First eVTOL Prototype (October 2021)

Lilium, developer of the all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) Lilium Jet, has signed an agreement with Helity Copter Airlines to develop an eVTOL network in Andalusia. Under the agreement, Helity intends to initially purchase five (5) Lilium Jets to provide premium and business charter flights to its customers.

Helity currently offers helicopter shuttle flights between Ceuta, Algeciras, and Málaga as well as private charter flights in southern Spain. With approximately 300,000 passengers transported to date between Ceuta and the Spanish peninsula, Helity provides a critical transportation service to its customers and the region. The Lilium Jet, with its premium cabin, expected physical range of 250 km, and anticipated performance capabilities in various weather conditions, is well suited to meet the transportation needs of the region.

Antonio Barranco, CEO and owner of Helity said: “With its zero operating emission and low noise profile, the Lilium Jet is a great addition to our existing helicopter fleet. Thanks to the large and spacious cabin, the aircraft is very well-suited to address the premium and business traffic in the region. I have no doubt that in the medium-term it will revolutionize the concept of short-range commercial and business aviation.”

Related:

• Lilium Engages Diehl Aviation for Lilium Jet’s Cabin Interior (July 2022)
• AAP Aviation to develop electric regional air mobility in Norway with the Lilium Jet (July 2022)
• Lilium Unveils Cabin Configurations (March 2022)

Daniel Wiegand, CEO of Lilium said: “Southern Spain attracts a high demand of premium tourism. Combined with Helity’s great local expertise and experience in the operation of helicopters, as well as the hiring of highly-skilled pilots, we have ideal conditions for the development of a sustainable air mobility network in the region.”

Lilium is currently conducting Flight Tests with its 5^th generation technology demonstrator at the ATLAS Flight Test Center in Villacarrillo (Jaen), Spain.

Why it’s important: Lilium, and many other eVTOL developers, are rapidly announcing expansion of intended operations in a myriad of international locations. As these manufacturers and operators grow the presence of aerial mobility services globally, they will be able to take advantage of economies of scale and network effects, thereby reducing costs and increasing operating efficiencies. In effect, this will improve flight availabilities and route offerings, thereby further increasing consumer demand via an overall more desirable service. More frequent trips to a wider variety of vertiport locations is ultimately what will make aerial mobility financially viable for both providers and consumers of the service.

Source // Lilium press release

WingTips, a California-based aerial mobility provider, has announced a firm order for 5 of Ampaire’s hybrid-electric propulsion Eco Caravan fixed-wing aircraft, with options for 20 more and expansion plans for around 175 total aircraft.

Above: Rendering of Ampaire’s Eco Caravan, able to carry up to 9 passengers and operate without electric charging infrastructure

Ampaire’s Eco Caravan is based on the Cessna Grand Caravan, retrofitting a hybrid-electric propulsion system onto the original Cessna 208B Grand Caravan body. With this adaptation, the aircraft is able to offer fuel savings of up to 70% on short-hop routes and over 50% on long-haul flights, while still carrying 9 passengers or 2500 lbs of cargo for up to 800 miles per flight.

The Eco-Caravan’s extreme fuel savings over traditional combustion aircraft has made it an excellent option for WingTips, a regional air charter company currently growing and operating in California, Arizona, and Nevada. According to a recent press release, WingTips plans to to use these new aircraft on regional routes of 100 to 400 statute miles, flying from general aviation airports.

WingTips, recently seeking to modernize its business with services, uses artificial intelligence to offer individual seats to on-demand charter passengers, as well as utilizing advanced floating fleet algorithms to optimize fleet usage according to customer demands. Essentially, this means that unlike airlines which have fixed schedules, WingTips offers flights that aggregate customer requests to find the best flight times and routes.

Above: A Cessna Eco Caravan being constructed and tested at Ampaire facilities.

WingTips hopes to utilize the Eco Caravan to both lower costs and expand its flight offerings. Said WingTips founder and CEO Mike Azzarello, “The Eco Caravan will redefine operating cost through its extreme efficiency. Our objective is to close the gap with the cost of driving while cutting travel time up to 75 percent. Working with Ampaire, we’ll be able to achieve this in a sustainable way. The Eco-Caravan operates within existing airport infrastructure, putting us years ahead of competitors that need major infrastructure investment in order to operate.”

Notably, Ampaire has already flight tested a smaller proof-of-concept aircraft, at one point using it to fly the longest route to date for an aircraft powered partially by electric propulsion. With many flight tests performed using this aircraft, named the ‘EEL‘, Ampaire has gained the expertise it needs to advance to larger aircraft. Currently, the company has plans to create aircraft that can carry up to 19 passengers or more.

Said Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker, “Ampaire and WingTips share a vision of reducing the cost and increasing the convenience of regional air travel while addressing a major source of harmful greenhouse gas emissions. The starting point for moving toward zero emissions is with low-emission hybrid-electric aircraft such as the Eco Caravan.”

Above: Tail-end photo of the Ampaire Eco Caravan

Why it’s important: By significantly lowering the fuel and operating costs of these regional fixed-wing aircraft, companies like WingTips and Ampaire can change the industry for short to medium distance transportation. As vehicles like the Eco Caravan continue to lower prices closer to those of traveling by car, demand for this regional transportation will grow immensely, creating excellent opportunities for both new companies to form and middle-tier companies to expand. Together, these innovations should make on-demand regional air travel a more common part of many people’s lives.

Source // Ampaire

Related:

• Ampaire to Collaborate with Black & Veatch on Electric Aircraft Infrastructure (June 2022)
• Ampaire Will Complete Hybrid-Electric Flight Testing in the UK (March 2021)
• Ampaire Flies Longest Route to Date for an Electric Aircraft (November 2022)