eVTOL development company Overair announced today the appointment of Tom Whayne as chief financial officer (CFO). As CFO, Whayne will oversee all financial operations and provide strategic guidance to the company as it continues its path toward commercialization.

Whayne joins OverAir having previously served as chief financial officer of OneWeb, where he led the raise of more than $3 billion of capital to fund the company’s development of a global broadband communications constellation in Low Earth Orbit. Most recently, he was senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Maxar Technologies, an Earth intelligence and space infrastructure company.

“We are immensely proud to welcome Tom to the team,” said Ben Tigner, co-founder and CEO of Overair. “His finance and operating background in orbital platform companies positions him perfectly to help Overair prepare for rapid scaling. Tom’s appointment comes at a pivotal time in our company as we build our full-scale Butterfly prototype.”

In addition to Whayne’s tenure at OneWeb and Maxar, he brings over 20 years of experience as an investment banker. Whayne was a managing director at Credit Suisse First Boston, Morgan Stanley, and Rothschild. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard College and a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Adding Whayne to the team solidifies the strength of Overair’s C-suite and continues the momentum of the company which has made significant progress in the development of its Butterfly aircraft, with full-scale propulsion testing completed in the second quarter of 2022 and current execution of its full-scale prototype program in 2023.

Why it’s important: Overair currently markets the Butterfly as the quietest, most robust and largest-capacity production-eVTOL vehicle and intends for their aircraft to have seating for five passengers and a pilot plus a separate large cargo compartment. The appointment of Tom Whayne will help the company stay its course during capital intensive research and development phases on the road to certification of their eVTOL aircraft.

ZeroAvia has announced that it achieved record-breaking performance in testing of its High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) systems.

Above: Zero Avia’s 19-seat hydrogen fuel cell aircraft

Early testing of the pressurized 20kW HTPEM stack power module in ZeroAvia’s UK R&D location has demonstrated a record 2.5 kW/kg specific power at the cell level, paving the way for 3+ kW/kg system level densities in the next 24 months.

ZeroAvia’s team has made unprecedented deep tech breakthroughs by delivering a pressurized HTPEM system, innovative conductive coatings enabling the use of aluminum bipolar plates in highly aggressive HTPEM environments, and a novel approach to advanced membrane electrode assembly (MEA).

Related: ZeroAvia Achieves First Flight of its Hydrogen-Electric Prototype

ZeroAvia’s proprietary technology has been developed over the last three years as part of a concentrated effort to build an in-house portfolio of critical technologies for fuel cell aviation. Further R&D will deliver over 3kW/kg fuel cell system specific power, which enables a step change in performance relative to the traditional fuel cell technologies, making fuel cell propulsion commercially viable for large aircraft. Specifically, the HTPEM systems will be prime candidates to support ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 powertrain for 40-80 seat aircraft, as well as a range of rotorcraft and eVTOL applications. This next generation of fuel cells could also be sufficient to enable electric propulsion systems for 100+ seat single-aisle turbofan aircraft such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320.

The components used in the ZeroAvia system have already been validated through third-party independent testing at several independent labs, including a leading U.S. Department of Energy national lab. The testing confirms the potential for HTPEM systems to accelerate the development of large hydrogen-electric powertrains for large aircraft.

ZeroAvia’s recent breakthrough first flight of a 19-seat aircraft utilized Low Temperature PEM (LTPEM) fuel cell systems. Today’s LTPEM systems work well for the sub-megawatt scale of these smaller aircraft, but the lower stack core temperatures make it harder to remove heat from the larger systems. HTPEM technology eliminates a number of components from the fuel cell system and reduces cooling drag, thereby enabling commercially relevant payload and range for larger aircraft. ZeroAvia’s HTPEM can also offer greater durability, further reducing operating costs for airlines. 

Val Miftakhov, CEO and founder of ZeroAvia, said: “The companies and geographies that seize the lead in high fuel cell temperatures and pressures will lead the industry. This progression is similar to the story of turbine engines, where ever-increasing temperatures and pressures drove higher and higher performance. Hydrogen fuel cell propulsion is the most environmental and economical alternative to existing engines, and HTPEM is the most promising route to delivering these benefits into large aircraft categories. I am confident that what we are demonstrating now is the core building block to delivering zero-emission flight for all categories of aircraft in the long-term.”

Interest in hydrogen combustion power, which differs from the electrically-powered fuel cell solution in ZeroAvia aircraft, has grown considerably in recent months. Hydrogen combustion engines are being developed to remove carbon emissions from flight, but they face the steep environmental penalty of maintaining or increasing the non-CO2 emissions impacts of aviation on the climate. These non-CO2 impacts are thought to have twice the climate impact of carbon emissions alone, according to a report from EASA. A non-combustion, hydrogen-electric approach like ZeroAvia’s eliminates extreme material stresses inherent in modern combustion engines, which dramatically reduces maintenance costs, further improving the economics of the hydrogen-electric propulsion.

Why it’s important: Developing fuel cell technology for aviation is critical to enable true zero-emission commercial flight, and for energy intensive applications – like large fixed wing aircraft and rotorcraft – it is necessary to increase the temperature and pressure within fuel cell stacks in order to have a commercially viable product. Increased temperature and pressure allows for air cooling, reduces cooling drag, simplifies the system, and ultimately enables much more demanding applications. Zeroavia’s demonstration of this increase capability is a major milestone in the technological development and points towards a future world of aviation that runs on hydrogen.

Adacel Technologies, an air traffic management and ATC simulation and training systems company, announced last week their Aurora ATM system was delivered to Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) and has successfully passed the Site Acceptance Testing.

Seychelles’ new Aurora ATM system, developed to modernize SCAA’s air traffic management system, will enhance ATM service delivery by providing surveillance control with space- and ground-based ADS-B stations. Aurora is a 4D flight profile-based ATM system incorporating all available surveillance sources, with advanced automation capabilities for oceanic, enroute, approach, and tower control.

“We are proud to successfully pass this important milestone with SCAA and look forward to the introduction of the Aurora ATM system into the Seychelles Flight Information Region,” shares Daniel Verret, Adacel’s CEO. “The new system will enhance airspace efficiency, enable higher levels of service to airspace users, and reduce controller workload,” continues Mr. Verret.

Speaking about the implementation of the new Aurora system, SCAA Chief Executive Officer Mr. Garry Albert said: “Reaching this project stage is a great accomplishment for us. By installing this state-of-the-art system, we will modernize the air traffic service to a level that has never been seen before in Seychelles. The collaboration with the professional team from Adacel has ensured that we have one of the most advanced systems. Combining this new technology with SCAA’s well-trained human resources, we will provide an excellent service to our stakeholders from all over the world who fly in our vast oceanic airspace located on the east coast of Africa.”

Why it’s important: The Aurora ATM system is an advancement in modern air traffic control infrastructure which should allow for proving of the system in a lower risk location while also providing data to inform future improved iterations that will be applied not only to fixed wing air traffic but eventually to unmanned aerial mobility service as well. A number of other companies in the air traffic and unmanned air traffic management space are working to further improve their offerings and prepare for increased traffic demands in the future.

GPMS announced today at HeliExpo 2023 that the FAA has granted a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for Foresight MX, the industry’s leading health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) on the Airbus AS350 B2 platform. Additionally, GPMS announced it has contracted with a HEMS operator to certify Foresight MX on the H145, and is working with Metro Aviation for certification on the EC145 platform.

Since the initial certification on the Bell 407GX series in 2019, GPMS has received STCs on various models, including the Bell 407 Analog, Bell 429, Bell 212, Bell 412 series, MD 530F, Airbus H125/AS350 B3, Mi-8/17/171 and the UH-60A.  GPMS teamed with Pathfinder Aviation, a utility operator in Alaska, to complete the AS350 B2 certification and to bring predictive HUMS to the nearly 1200 B2s flying today. 

Byus continues, “Many of our customers, like Pathfinder Aviation, utilize multiple models from multiple helicopter OEMs.  This historically has prevented them from seeing a one-stop, holistic view of the health of their entire fleet.  With our solution, our targeted Airbus certification expansion, and our collaboration with various OEMs, more operators are benefiting from having the power of Foresight.  Using it anywhere, any time, and on any web-enabled device.” 

According to Todd Powers, GPMS’s Vice President of Sales, the demand for HUMS is no longer a surprise.  “In the last year, we’ve more than doubled our Foresight installations and our backlog, and our CEO & cofounder, Dr. Eric Bechhoefer, has been awarded the HAI Salute to Excellence Award for Safety for his outstanding contributions to the promotion of rotorcraft safety and safety awareness.  We’ve moved from showing folks the benefits HUMS can bring to them, to fulfilling orders and assisting customers with their installations as quickly as possible.” 

Why it’s important: Foresight is similar to other commercial aviation prognostic and health monitoring dashboards, however the tool is uniquely optimized for use in helicopters. This type of technology could be applicable to aerial mobility aircraft in the future and would help predict maintenance activities before they’re required, increasing utilization and decreasing unscheduled maintenance downtime. GPMS is gaining valuable experience in the helicopter industry prior to aerial mobility aircraft operating at frequencies that will benefit from such integrations, however in the coming years expect a larger focus on analytics and eVTOL management dashboards, whether they’re from external horizontally integrated models or vertically integrated OEM’s.

Innovaero has just announced its strategic partnership with BAE Systems Australia for the design, development and launch of the STRIX Uncrewed VTOL Aerial System at Avalon 2023. This is the first collaborative venture for both companies in the Australian marketplace on emerging UAS capabilities for the defense sector.

STRIX is a significant Australian innovation, with Innovaero and BAE Systems Australia combining to design an entirely new concept.

STRIX is a hybrid-propulsion tandem wing, with multi-domain and multi-role UAS capability. The STRIX uncrewed air system (UAS), of which a prototype is already in development, could be used for a variety of missions including air to ground strike against hostile targets and persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). It could also act as a ‘loyal wingman’ for military helicopters.

Perth-based Innovaero is a 100% Australian-owned aeronautical product design, certification, and manufacturing company, with a track record of delivering successful outcomes for clients in Australia. Its team of world-class aeronautical specialists is globally recognised for its innovation, including its world leading aerial camera array solutions.

Innovaero Group Chief Executive Officer Simon Grosser said the design and development of STRIX demonstrated the company’s capabilities for the defense sector. “To witness the capability STRIX will provide to Defence, through partnering with BAE Systems Australia, is very exciting. STRIX has the potential payload capacity, range, speed, and advanced autonomy to provide real differential over current market offerings.” Mr Grosser said.

BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Officer Ben Hudson paid tribute to the team at Innovaero for the work delivered to date on the STRIX model and prototype. “Innovaero is an amazing team of passionate Australians specialising in novel airborne systems,” Mr Hudson said. “STRIX is a real testament to the culture that Mike has developed at Innovaero.”

Why it’s important: STRIX is an entirely new UAS concept and a significant Australian innovation, the product of close collaboration between local aerospace SME Innovaero and Australia’s largest defense prime, BAE Systems Australia. The UAS has emerged as a critical defense capability of the future. STRIX is a stride forward into the next generation of autonomous hybrid-propulsion VTOL multi-role UAS delivering sustainable superiority on the in battlefield, an opening opportunities for these vehicles in logistics transportation.

Source // Innovaero Press Release

Air taxi infrastructure company Skyportz and property developer Pelligra announced today a partnership to explore jointly developing vertiport networks to attract air taxi and drone delivery services to Australia. Speaking at the Avalon Airshow, Skyportz CEO Clem Newton-Brown said this partnership was a significant step forward for this emerging industry in Australia.

“We have strong policy support from the Federal Government and our air regulator, CASA to develop Advanced Air Mobility in Australia. The front runner electric air taxis will be  certified to operate in the next couple of years. We now need the vertiport sites and if  Australia can establish a launch vertiport network we will be in a position to attract the first  of these clean, green, quiet aircraft to Australian skies”. 

The Agreement builds on a previous partnership between Skyportz and other property owners such as Secure Parking which has hundreds of parking sites at urban hubs.

Pelligra is a third generation family business with an extensive portfolio of over 1200 projects in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and overseas. 

The next step in the partnership is to focus their resources on a region or city that actively wants to be a world leader in Advanced Air Mobility. Nowhere in the world has a vertiport network yet been established, but several European and American cities are well advanced in their planning. 

USA-based consultancy Nexa Capital has assessed the potential return on five use cases in cities such as Melbourne to be in excess of $5 billion in the first 20 years of operations, and the partnership between Skyportz and Pelligra aims to bridge that gap. 

“The key to this industry is breaking the nexus between aviation and existing airports. We need to develop a network of new vertiport sites if the industry is to reach its potential and Skyportz is readying the landscape to partner with infrastructure partners such as Pelligra”,  said Newton-Brown. 

Why it’s important: The partnership between Pelligra and Skyportz will afford each member more resources to continue exploration of development sites for vertiports in Australia and reflects an increasing focus of late on vertiport infrastructure. While aerial mobility aircraft remain a large portion of the focus for AAM developments, more and more attention is also being directed toward wide-scale development of vertiport and supporting infrastructure for AAM operations.

Drone automation technology firm VOTIX and Iris automation announced last week that they’re entering a partnership to enable safe BVLOS flights through the integration of Iris Automation’s Casia G ground-based detect and alert system into the VOTIX cloud-based drone operating system.

This integration will make remote operations a reality for enterprises that need effective and flexible drone BVLOS deployments. Applications could include routine automated inspections of critical infrastructure or rapid mobilization seen in Drone as First Responder programs.

This hardware-software solution will feed data from the Casia G system into the VOTIX platform to provide a complete picture of the operational airspace in real-time. A key requirement to obtaining BVLOS regulatory approvals is the ability to detect non-cooperative aircraft at distance. The Casia G system fulfills this by monitoring the airspace and providing precise location and classification data of intruder aircraft, enabling automated conflict resolution via the VOTIX platform. This brings a new level of safety and mission capability to customers looking to expand their operations at scale.

The VOTIX and Iris Automation systems allow for integration applications that might eventually be used for eVTOL operations, but that also differ in their management of operational airspace classification being separated from airspace that might be used for mixed purpose in aerial mobility operations.

Casia G creates a stationary perimeter of sanitized, monitored airspace without the need to add additional sensors or payload to the drone. Using patented computer vision technology, Casia G alerts the Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) if a risk of collision is present and allows the drone to maneuver to safe zones. This eliminates the need for the pilot to maintain visual contact with the drone or to have Visual Observers (VOs) in place to monitor the skies.

Why it’s important: The partnership between VOTIX and Iris will amplify the ability of drone applications in beyond visual line of sight operations and further streamline the processes of increasing drones in operations in similar areas. There are some future integration challenges required for aerial mobility applications but the data and learnings from this initial experience will help to inform future scaling of drone operations and potentially and eventually inform aerial mobility airspace management and deconfliction.

Skyports Infrastructure, a new developer of eVTOL vertiport infrastructure, has achieved approval for its vertiport design by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai at the World Government Summit 2023.

The vision for Dubai’s future air mobility infrastructure network was jointly presented by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Skyports Infrastructure, and Joby Aviation at a closed presentation ahead of the start of the World Government Summit.

The air mobility expo demonstrated the RTA and Skyports Infrastructure’s planned roadmap for developing a vertiport network in Dubai for launch by 2026; including a concept for how future vertiport design may look and how it will integrate with existing transportation, including the RTA’s Dubai Metro network and Dubai International Airport.

Four vertiport sites located near Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown and Dubai Marina, which are currently being considered by Skyports Infrastructure and RTA, were presented to a senior delegation which included His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, accompanied by Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. These initial locations will connect four of Dubai’s most popular – and populous – areas, providing high-speed, zero-emissions air connectivity.

An architectural model of Skyports’ vertiport near Dubai International Airport was presented to the special delegation by RTA Chairman, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer. Pioneer of electric vertical take- off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, Joby Aviation, which last week became the first eVTOL aircraft manufacturer to complete the second stage in the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) aircraft type certification process, joined RTA and Skyports Infrastructure at World Government Summit to promote the opportunities of aerial mobility in Dubai.

Ahmed Bahrozyan, Chief Executive Officer of The Public Transport Agency at RTA, said, “The RTA’s plan for aerial taxis is in line with the Dubai Self-Driving Transport Strategy, which aims to make 25 percent of all trips in Dubai driverless by 2030. The project aims to roll out a new mobility service driven by pioneering technology to ease the mobility of individuals across urban areas in a safe, smooth, and sustainable manner integrated with the public transport network in Dubai. The service is set to be operational by 2026.”

Why it’s important: Skyports’ design approval in Dubai marks another external approval for the company’s growth efforts and growing stake in early relationships with one of a few initial eVTOL operations sites that seek to quickly adapt and integrate aerial mobility technology into their transportation ecosystems.

Universal Hydrogen Co. announced last week that it was granted an experimental special airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to proceed with the first flight of its hydrogen-powered regional aircraft. The company also released video footage of successful first taxi tests of the aircraft, designed to evaluate ground handling qualities and the performance of the fuel-cell electric powertrain at low power settings and airspeeds.

The Dash 8-300 flying testbed has a megawatt-class hydrogen fuel cell powertrain installed in one of its nacelles. The powertrain is in a configuration that closely resembles the company’s first product—a conversion kit for ATR 72-600 regional airliners—which is expected to be certified and in commercial passenger service starting in 2025.

Universal Hydrogen’s powertrain does not utilize a hybrid battery architecture, with all of the power transmitted directly from the fuel cells to the electric motor, significantly decreasing weight and lifecycle cost.

The FAA approval clears the way for the first flight of the Dash 8-300 flying testbed which will take place at Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. Once complete with its first flight, the aircraft will be the largest hydrogen fuel cell-powered airplane to take to the skies, and second as a hydrogen-powered aircraft only to the Soviet flight test in 1988 of a Tupolev Tu-155 airliner with one of its jet engines converted to burn hydrogen.

“We are simultaneously providing a pragmatic, near-term solution for hydrogen infrastructure and delivery, as well as for converting existing passenger aircraft to use this lightweight, safe, and true-zero-emissions fuel,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen. “Today’s milestones are essential, important steps to putting the industry on a trajectory to meet Paris Agreement obligations. The only alternative is curtailing aviation traffic growth to curb emissions.”

Why it’s important: Universal Hydrogen’s DHC 8-300 testing represents the opportunity for a leap forward in hydrogen fuel cell powered aircraft research and development, and carries the companies’ offerings a step further beyond their initial convertible ATR hydrogen packages. While hydrogen storage and hydrogen powertrains are still relatively new topics in aerospace, the engineering acumen to successfully deploy these types of systems is an important development focus and its scope continues to grow.

Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group recently announced that its subsidiary Aerofugia successfully completed a test flight of its prototype flying car, moving the company closer to its goal of delivering electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles to market.

The test flight of the AE200-series eVTOL vehicle, featuring a tilt-motor configuration, was made within two months of Aerofugia obtaining the country’s first license for such a manned flying car. It seats one pilot and four passengers, and was designed for “safe and comfortable” intercity and interurban area travel, according to Aerofugia.

“Geely’s successful test flight shows that it has enough scientific and technical capability to realise [the commercial viability of] its flying car project,” said Wang Ke, a senior consultant focused on the car industry, at Beijing-based consultancy Analysys.

Li Shufu, the billionaire founder and chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Photo: Simon Song

Geely, which acquired Volvo Cars in 2010, a controlling stake in Lotus Cars in 2017, and a minority interest in Mercedes-Benz Group in 2018, showed its ambition to take to the skies when it agreed to buy US flying car start-up Terrafugia in June 2017. Founded in Boston by a group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates in 2006, Terrafugia designed the world’s first road-drivable flying car, called the Transition.

Following Geely’s investment in German air taxi developer Volocopter in September 2019, it backed the merger of Terrafugia with Chinese drone maker AOSSCI to form Aerofugia in 2020. This umbrella firm is based in Chengdu, capital of southwestern Sichuan province.

The AE200 X01 prototype is the largest eVTOL vehicle to complete a maiden flight in China and has met all technical conditions for flying, according to Aerofugia. “It marks a milestone in the development of the aircraft and lays the foundation for carrying out a subsequent series of test flights,” a company representative said.

Aerofugia, which formed a joint venture with Volocopter in 2021, will continue test flights of the prototype to accumulate safety data before it applies for a formal license to commercially release the eVTOL vehicle. Aerofugia claims that this type of certification is likely to be obtained “within three to five years” according to a publication via the South China Morning Post.

At present, the AE200’s government permit stipulates that its purpose is for sightseeing, emergency healthcare and logistics – making it an alternative to a car for a person’s daily commute.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has been gradually relaxing its restrictions on low-altitude airspace – the airspace below 1,000 metres – for civilian use to promote the rapid development of its civil aviation industry. In March last year, the Ministry of Transport released a development plan that listed flying cars among the major tasks from 2021 to 2035.

“At present, the technical safety and stability have yet to be verified,” Wang of Analysys said. “Given that flying cars are still new in China, it will take time for people to accept it.”

Why it’s important: Aerofugia’s successful eVTOL test flight reflects how Geely founder and chairman Li Shufu’s deal-making track record is paying off for the company, as it rides the next wave of innovation in the world’s largest electric vehicle market. Aerofugia has been flight testing prototype vehicles for at least three years now, and continues to make notable progress via technical milestones and strategic partnerships.

Related:

• Geely Reveals Terrafugia TF-2A eVTOL
• Terrafugia’s Commaris signs first UAV dealer partnership with Homeland Surveillance Electronics
• Terrafugia’s Transition Receives FAA Certification

UP.Partners, a mobility focused multi-strategy investment firm and parent of TransportUP released its inaugural Moving WorldReport: 2023 Macro and Micro Trends in Mobility today. The report draws evidence from dozens of interviews and hundreds of research studies to explore the multiplicity of important innovations and market dynamics impacting the movement of people and goods on the ground, in the air, at sea, and in space.

Some of the critical takeaways from the report include:

Investment: mobility funding has outpaced most tech sectors

Mobility VC has seen a 30X increase in funding since 2013

$130B allocated out of the Inflation Reduction Act towards batteries & renewables, clean transportation, and hydrogen – likely to ignite significant innovation in the domestic US mobility ecosystem

Last mile and EVs have made up almost 50% of the dollars deployed since 2020 in mobility VC

12% of all VC over the last 10 years went to mobility

Mobility tech stocks have exhibited more volatility than broader markets during the market correction in 2022, likely an artifact of the recent SPAC bubble

Environmental: mobility has become the most important climate segment

Mobility represents 37% of U.S. CO2 emissions, the largest of any sector, with ground transportation representing 78% of that total, sea transportation at 11%, air transportation at 10%, and rail at just 1%

38% of climate tech/sustainability related investment dollars were made in mobility related companies

Batteries: shortages of battery raw materials will impact carmakers’ ability to meet EV targets — putting  EV mandates in conflict with manufacturing reality

Lithium price index went up almost 800% from 2020-2022

Battery demand expected to increase by 900% by 2030

The massive supply/demand dislocation for lithium, cobalt, and nickel is likely to increase the cost of EVs to consumers

For the first time in 12 years, battery prices are going up per kWh, even though cell energy density is improving

With current EV mandates, the U.S. is facing an existential national security energy risk by not establishing firm battery supply before pivoting market to 100% EVs

U.S. is not well prepared to take on the additional electric load of EVs, at least in states that transitioned rapidly to renewable energy — if every car in California were electric today, electricity consumption would likely increase by 47%

Aviation: radical innovation is required to reverse aviation CO2 emissions trend

Cargo drones did 192% more drone deliveries in 2022 compared to 2021

65,000 pilot shortage is expected by 2030 globally, a massive shortage that could cripple airlines and aircraft manufacturers, particularly regional airlines

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is the only rational pathway to making a real dent in aviation CO2 emissions in the next 10 – 15 years

Over the long-term, hydrogen oers the most impactful potential strategy for decarbonizing aviation

Space: hypersonic travel and o-planet logistics are coming quickly

More than a dozen companies are pursuing hypersonic jets

Lunar exploration will open up new opportunities beyond our imagination with voyages to Mars and a permanent human presence on the Moon just on the horizon

SpaceX Starship will “change the game,” reducing the cost of getting a kilogram to orbit by orders of magnitude

The insights in The Moving World Report will help startup founders, investors, regulators, corporations, and decision-makers successfully navigate these fundamental forces and better prepare for the likely futures of the moving world.

“Technology is disrupting aviation, EV adoption is accelerating at rapid pace, and electric 2- and 3-wheelers are displacing 1 million barrels of oil a day. Yet, the mobility sector has emerged as the largest CO2 contributor in the U.S. As many opportunities as there are in this rapidly transforming industry, there are even more challenges to be addressed”, said Cyrus Sigari, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of UP.Partners.“Transforming the moving world by moving people and goods cleaner, faster, safer, and at lower costs is a shared mission among governments, investors, and entrepreneurs alike. It is our hope that industry leaders and their teams will use the Moving World Report as a guide to confront the challenges and unlock the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Why it’s important: The Moving World report is a comprehensive view of future mobility innovations and provides a forecast for the movers and shakers of the next decade of mobility technology. Look for developments in the four primary areas of the report, land, air, sea, and space to continue to accelerate their trajectories in the coming years as UP.Partners continues to invest in business development resources, incubation atmospheres, and traditional strategic capital deployments to help change the moving world.

Read the full 2023 Moving World Report here

Skyports Drone Services and electric autonomous aircraft manufacturer Pyka have agreed on a partnership for heavy payload drone logistics. The collaboration plans to leverage Skyports Drone Services’ extensive operational experience as well as Pyka’s heavy payload aircraft to provide heavy drone delivery services.

The partnership specifically involves Skyports Drone Services and the recently unveiled Pyka Pelican Cargo uncrewed aerial system (UAS). The large autonomous electric aircraft’s 175+ kg payload capacity and 1.85 cubic meters cargo volume significantly increases Skyports Drone Services’ payload capabilities and complements the existing lineup of UAS solutions currently utilized by the UK drone operator. Pyka’s Pelican Cargo will be deployed for a range of use cases and operations, including services for humanitarian aid, logistics and delivery companies, as well as healthcare and medical organizations.

A full flight program with Pelican Cargo will begin in early Q2 in Cornwall, UK, and will include flights for the Future Flight Challenge phase three Open Skies Cornwall project, one of four UK Research & Innovation funded projects won by Skyports Drone Services in July 2022.

The introduction of Pyka’s Pelican Cargo aircraft into the Skyports Drone Services fleet supports the company’s ambitions of implementing drone operations at scale. The substantial uplift in capacity strengthens the UK drone operator’s proposition and market position.

Alex Brown, Director, Skyports Drone Services, said: “Having a fully electric, autonomous, heavy lift cargo drone in our fleet is a real gamechanger. To date, we’ve been focused on operations with smaller, high value payloads; the introduction of the Pelican Cargo brings new capabilities and means we can now fly significant volumes of cargo long distances, connecting communities in remote areas and providing a regular, robust form of transport in and out of hard-to-reach areas. Importantly, we’re doing this now – this isn’t future gazing, it’s a ready-to-go service.”

Why it’s important: Skyports’ partnership with Pyka will facilitate additional operational experience of heavy lift drones, which will carry payloads similar to that of smaller eVTOL aircraft. Additionally, since Pyka’s heavy lift drone technology is ready for usage, Skyports and Pyka will gain valuable insights into fine tuning their operation and future scaling efforts to make a more compelling business case for this type of service to be rolled out in other areas across the globe.