Category: Operators

Volocopter Begins Reservations for Electric Air Taxi Flights

18 September 2020 || 3 min read

“Be the first to fly with an electric air taxi,” Volocopter advertised as it announced the commencement of the world’s first public sale for electrical air taxi flight reservations. As of today, September 16th, Volocopter fans world-wide can reserve their tickets online and be amongst the very first to take this new form of mobility. Volocopter revealed the initiative at...

Volocopter Begins Reservations for Electric Air Taxi Flights

18 September 2020 || 3 min read

“Be the first to fly with an electric air taxi,” Volocopter advertised as it announced the commencement of the world’s first public sale for electrical air taxi flight reservations.

As of today, September 16th, Volocopter fans world-wide can reserve their tickets online and be amongst the very first to take this new form of mobility. Volocopter revealed the initiative at the Greentech Festival in Berlin, and has made 1000 presale reservations available for a limited time. The “VoloFirst” costs €300 and can be reserved with a 10% deposit. With the reservation, passengers will receive the following:

A flight with a duration of approx. 15 minutes (approx.) scheduled within the first 12 months after commercial launch
A video of the passenger’s flight
A limited edition, personalized certificate included in reservation

The announcement follows Volocopter’s successful demonstration flights in Stuttgart, at Helsinki’s international airport, and over Singapore’s Marina Bay. “Based on our public test flights and regulatory achievement record, we have paved the way to make electric flight in cities common in just a few years. With the start of reservations, we now invite our supporters and innovators around the world to join us and be amongst the first to experience this new and exciting form of mobility,” said Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter. The reservations for the first VoloCity flights are available world-wide on the Volocopter Reservation Platform.

Why it’s important: Volocopter is working to build the world’s first sustainable and scalable urban air mobility business to bring affordable air taxi services to megacities worldwide. The VoloCity, its fully electric “eVTOL” aircraft, has already begun the certification process in order to safely and quietly transport passengers within cities. Volocopter’s outspoken goal is to ‘Bring Urban Air Mobility to Life’ and has made significant headway in conjunction with its partners in infrastructure, operations, and air traffic management to build the necessary ecosystem. The early commercialization of its technology through limited reservation flights will serve as a funding mechanism for continued development of its technology as well as for the certification process. As an added benefit, the strategically limited supply of flights may increase publicity of the offering and ultimately result in an impactful marketing effort for the company.

Related:

Source // Volocopter press release

Walmart Begins On-Demand Drone Delivery Program with Flytrex

10 September 2020 || 4 min read

Just days after Amazon Prime Air has received FAA approval for drone deliveries, Walmart has initiated a program with Flytrex for its own drone delivery service. Upon announcing the new initiative, Walmart looked back on a quote from founder Sam Walton: “I have always been driven to buck the system, to innovate, to take things beyond where they’ve been.” It remains...

Walmart Begins On-Demand Drone Delivery Program with Flytrex

10 September 2020 || 4 min read

Just days after Amazon Prime Air has received FAA approval for drone deliveries, Walmart has initiated a program with Flytrex for its own drone delivery service.

Upon announcing the new initiative, Walmart looked back on a quote from founder Sam Walton: “I have always been driven to buck the system, to innovate, to take things beyond where they’ve been.” It remains a guiding principle at Walmart to this day, according to the company. “From being an early pioneer of universal bar codes and electronic scanning cash registers to our work on autonomous vehicle delivery, we’re working to understand how these technologies can impact the future of our business and help us better serve our customers.”

“Our latest initiative has us exploring how drones can deliver items in a way that’s convenient, safe, and – you guessed it – fast. Today, we’re taking the next step in our exploration of on-demand delivery by announcing a new pilot with Flytrex, an end-to-end drone delivery company.”

The pilot program launched as of September 9th in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and focuses on delivering select grocery and household essential items from Walmart stores using Flytrex’s automated drones. The drones, which are controlled over the cloud using a smart and easy control dashboard, will help us gain valuable insight into the customer and associate experience, from picking and packing to takeoff and delivery. The announcement of Walmart’s new program accompanies various other recent efforts as the U.S. retailer looks to bolster its delivery business.

Why it’s important:

In a press release, Walmart acknowledged the long road ahead; “we know that it will be some time before we see millions of packages delivered via drone. That still feels like a bit of science fiction, but we’re at a point where we’re learning more and more about the technology that is available and how we can use it to make our customers’ lives easier. Take for example our autonomous vehicle work with Gatik, Ford and Nuro – we’ve gained loads of valuable insight into how autonomous vehicles fit within our business.”

Ultimately, it’s learnings from pilots such as this that will help shape the potential of drone delivery on a larger scale and expand Walmart beyond its reputation as a company specializing in in-store shopping. Fortunately, Amazon’s Prime Air business arm has begun to pave the way for certification with its official Part 135 approval to begin operating commercial deliveries on a trial basis.

Source // Walmart press release

Vertical Aerospace eVTOL to be Equipped with Latest Honeywell Flight Deck Technology

20 August 2020 || 4 min read

In the coming weeks, we can expect to see a full-scale prototype of Vertical Aerospace’s latest electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft fly for the first time. The company has been quietly conducting advanced research and development on its vehicle, while simultaneously securing more publicly-announced partnerships with Honeywell and Dassault. Just last week, Vertical Aerospace shared a sneak-peek of...

Vertical Aerospace eVTOL to be Equipped with Latest Honeywell Flight Deck Technology

20 August 2020 || 4 min read

Just last week, Vertical Aerospace shared a sneak-peek of its new aircraft design. Judging from the images, the vehicle can be expected to utilize four propellers in a tilt-wing configuration, as well as a v-tail configuration for stability and control. Honeywell, as recently announced, will supply the multitouch displays, avionics system controls, avionics software and vehicle operating system.

We have signed a letter of intent to provide @VerticalAero with flight deck technology for their #UAM demonstrator vehicle. #eVTOL

— Honeywell Aerospace (@Honeywell_Aero) August 11, 2020

With regards to the announcement, Michael Cervenka, CEO of Vertical Aerospace said, “Vertical is well advanced in the development of its next-generation, high-performance, passenger-carrying vehicle. We are excited at the prospect of broadening our partnership with Honeywell, enabling our vehicles to leverage not only Honeywell’s flight control systems, but also to marry these with the very latest in intuitive and safe flight deck technologies.”

The upcoming aircraft is predicted to be capable of carrying a pilot and four passengers up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 240km/h.

A sneak preview of Vertical Aerospace’s upcoming aircraft, to be announced in full shortly.

Last year, the Bristol-based startup revealed flight footage of an electric vertical take off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) capable of carrying loads of up to 250kg – the first company in the world to do so. The prototype, named Seraph, completed its maiden flight at Llanbedr Airfield in Wales on August 22, 2019.

Vertical plans to operate the Seraph (featured above) itself, in addition to the new aircraft to be announced. The company has already flown two full-scale prototypes of the Seraph at a maximum speed of 80km/h and with a payload of 250kg. Last year, Honeywell supplied Vertical’s demonstration aircraft with its Compact Fly-By-Wire System and flight control software, so the two already have collaboration experience.

The Vertical Aerospace Seraph, a record-setting aircraft that completed its first test flight last year.

Why it’s important: The announcement of new contracts and strategic aerial mobility partnerships – including Vertical Aerospace, and in general – signals promising forward momentum in the UAM industry. The unveiling of the upcoming new aircraft from Vertical is eagerly awaited and will mark a large milestone for Vertical Aerospace and Honeywell, as it will showcase technologies that we may expect to see implemented in other aerial mobility vehicles. This partnership will also serve as an opportunity for eVTOL aircraft manufacturers to witness Honeywell’s technologies in a physical prototype and evaluate whether they will adopt Honeywell’s specific features in their own eVTOL prototype designs. Honeywell, in return, has much industry reputation to gain from Vertical Aerospace’s unveiling of the upcoming aircraft, as the supplier could potentially earn itself several new contracts following an impressive vehicle demonstration.

Related:

Source // Honeywell; AINOnline

Volansi Partners with USAF on Long-Distance, Heavy Payload VTOL Drone Development

08 July 2020 || 4 min read

Volansi – a designer, manufacturer, and service provider for autonomous VTOL UAVs – has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the United States Air Force (USAF) through the Department of the Air Force Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Center of Excellence innovation program. At the United States Air Force’s Agility Prime Virtual Trade Show in...

Volansi Partners with USAF on Long-Distance, Heavy Payload VTOL Drone Development

08 July 2020 || 4 min read

At the United States Air Force’s Agility Prime Virtual Trade Show in May of this year, Volansi unveiled its VOLY M20 UAV – a new generation of dual role aircraft offering customers the ability to simultaneously carry 20 pounds of cargo and a 10 pound ISR or sensor payload. It was designed to meet the exacting requirements of commercial customers operating in remote maritime locations and military customers who require a flexible vehicle for resupply and ISR applications. The VOLY M20 has a 350-mile range, cruising at 75 mph, and more than eight hours of endurance for sensor operations.

The Phase II contract will allow Volansi to demonstrate the innovative capabilities of the long-distance, heavy-payload VOLY M20 VTOL drone.

“The VOLY M20 was designed with modularity and mission flexibility in mind,” Volansi CEO and Co-Founder, Hannan Parvizian said. “The user experience is a key pillar of this design. We incorporated all the feedback we received from our customers on the need for an easy to use, maintain, and operate aircraft that is capable of operating on both land and at sea.”

Made in the USA, the VOLY M20 utilizes a hybrid flight system that combines electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) with a fixed-wing, “pusher”-driven forward flight mode. The VOLY M20 can be configured with the customer’s choice of highly reliable heavy-fuel (JP5/JP8/Kerosene) or gasoline engines. Credit // Volansi

“We are delighted for this SBIR Phase II award and look forward to partnering with the United States Air Force Special Operations Command on this project,” said Hannan Parvizian, CEO and Co-Founder of Volansi. “Our goal is to develop technology that unburdens, equips, and increases the warfighter’s capability to successfully compete and win in any situation. We are proud to continue to contribute to the work that our brothers and sisters are doing within the United States Military.”

In a prior SBIR Phase I award, Volansi’s group 3 VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle, the VOLY C20, was successfully evaluated as an effective tool to enable resupply of the warfighter of tomorrow. Volansi’s UAVs are already in use for commercial cargo delivery projects around the world, and soon-to-begin commercial drone delivery projects launching in the United States this summer.

Why it’s important: The VTOL design of the VOLY M20 enables it to complete complex missions with minimal to zero infrastructure needs. The vehicle’s ability to land at the delivery point and return with cargo such as samples for analysis, diagnosis, or repair makes it a viable and particularly applicable product suited to the needs of the United States Air Force. Backed by the U.S. Military through both the Phase I and Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards, Volansi appears to have a strong lead on provisioning the next age of aerial mobility for military applications.

Related:

Source // Volansi press release

McKinsey’s Take on Aerial Mobility Pilots: A Niche Talent Pool in Need of Development

08 June 2020 || 5 min read

Consulting Firm McKinsey & Co published their analysis on the transition from piloted to pilotless aerial mobility aircraft on June 2nd, outlining a proposed four phase progression from the current status quo of completely piloted aircraft to completely autonomous aerial mobility operations. The analysis, compiled by Uri Pelli and Partner Robin Riedel, asserted that the development will mature through these...

McKinsey’s Take on Aerial Mobility Pilots: A Niche Talent Pool in Need of Development

08 June 2020 || 5 min read

No automation or human assistance (current capabilities, where computer systems may assist human pilots by reducing workload and providing safety protections)
partial and conditional automation, in which pilots provide some control from the ground but onboard automation systems control the majority of activities
high automation with remote supervised vehicles (one supervisor on the ground monitoring multiple aircraft)
full automation

It was noted that, while these stages appear discrete, they could overlap, or even blend together, as additional developments occur and the integration of piloted/augmented piloted operations of aerial mobility aircraft is more fully developed.

Additionally, the article paired these four development stages with four major headwinds: the challenges of obtaining the pilot population, training them, and then implementing them at scale, with the knowledge that in a certain number of years, by design, they’ll be rendered obsolete.

The first challenge was the sheer cost of pilots. Given realistic assumptions of operating cost for UAM aircraft, adding a pilot could almost double the cost of any given flight.

Secondly, training and pilot sourcing are difficult. The aviation industry was in a massive pilot shortage prior to COVID-19, and McKinsey’s estimates state that once the eventually return to commercial air traffic operations has reached steady state, “suggests the [aerial mobility] industry could require about 60,000 pilots by 2028, roughly 17 percent of the total number of commercial pilots in 2018”. Almost 20% of the pilot workforce, on top of the existing talent pool, is a very large increase in demand across any industry. However, pilots are also an opportunity to leverage experience gained in providing a comfortable atmosphere for commercial air travel; they would serve as ambassadors for the aerial mobility industry through their interactions with customers. In fact, McKinsey’s article leads directly into the hurdle of a completely new customer experience – one that pilots have the ability to help curate to both reassure passengers and allow them to enjoy the convenience and benefits of commercialized aerial mobility transportation.

Last, and the most commonly cited hurdle, is the aircraft design paradigm. While provisions for manual operation and piloting of aerial mobility vehicles will be required for earlier models, at what cost is either retrofitting these aircraft when pilots are no longer required, or operating them with a spare pilots seat, worth when compared to clean sheet designs and integrations that never intended for a pilot to be in the loop? The challenging reality of certification for UAM aircraft at present means that designs must include pilot provisions now, and likely in the future those provisions may be partially deactivated and the pilot’s seat “converted” to a passenger seat to realize the benefit of another revenue generating station onboard. But then, what to do with pilots? The value proposition moving forward is equally as important for pilots in search of a long lasting career. Transitions to remote operations, or fixed wing aircraft piloting, might need to be flowed out to demonstrate the long term benefits of a career that may only involve 10 years of piloting UAM aircraft, per se.

Why it’s important: Due to the autonomous intent of the aerial mobility industry, the interim flight operations solution (pilots required) can be overlooked easily. McKinsey has identified a few of the key challenges for sourcing the talent required to bridge this gap in public acceptance and certification (the technology gap is virtually non-existent for flight path guidance at present). Additionally, once the talent pool of pilots is obtained, there are secondary benefits to having knowledgeable and professional pilots who may be able to serve as ambassadors to aerial mobility.

Source // McKinsey & Co. Article

Thales, Skyports, Wingcopter to Conduct Trial of Drone Based COVID Response Flights

25 May 2020 || 3 min read

UK based drone and aerial mobility operations company Skyports announced in a Tuesday press release that it intends on conducting trial COVID-19 response flights for the National Health Service in Scotland. The partnership will combine resources from Wingcopter for drone delivery, Thales for airspace management using the SOARIZON UTM platform, and Skyports for the operations platform to enable completion of...

Thales, Skyports, Wingcopter to Conduct Trial of Drone Based COVID Response Flights

25 May 2020 || 3 min read

The flights are intended to delivery Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to a variety of remote medical facilities that normally require up to 6 hours of time to be reached via conventional ground methods. Utilization of the drone based delivery operation is reportedly able to cut delivery times from over 6 hours to a mere 15 minutes on an on-demand basis.

Wingcopter autonomous drone with PPE payload pod. Image // Skyports

Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, described the potential future applications if such a partnership and operations scheme were to become permanent: “Delivery drones are a fast and reliable solution for vital medical supplies. Skyports is proud to assist the NHS in Scotland with their COVID-19 response, helping to provide the essential healthcare that people need in harder-to-reach areas. Our trial in Argyll and Bute provides an important short-term response to the current pandemic and lays the foundations from which to grow a permanent drone delivery operation across a network of healthcare facilities around the country.”

The trial flights are backed by the Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), which is a combined partnership between NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council. This partnership aims to analyze and confirm the feasibility of transport of delivering urgent medical cargo via drone. The trial will last for two weeks.

Thales CEO, Alex Cresswell, stated that “This trial demonstrates the positive role that unmanned technology can play in our society and represents a landmark step to accelerate its adoption. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with industry partners, regulators and government to establish the UK as a world leader in this exciting new industry.”

Why it’s important: The announcement of this partnership indicates the continuing progress and foundation being laid for future aerial mobility commercial operations. The required coordination to successfully host multiple on-demand, time critical deliveries of PPE and medical supplies, in concert with aviation regulatory agencies, medical institutions, and airspace management and drone hardware companies provides valuable data and operational references for future complex aerial mobility operations. A successful trial period will reinforce the approach that Thales, Wingcopter, Skyports, and the UK Civil Aviation Authority are all working towards operationalizing.

Source // Skyports Press Release

BLADE Announces Charters at Operating Cost for those affected by COVID-19

17 March 2020 || 3 min read

BLADE Urban Air Mobility recently announced that they will be extending their jet charter services to customers at operating cost to support those needing urgent on demand transportation from affected areas. From a BLADE press release: “Given the unprecedented level of uncertainty regarding commercial flight travel restrictions, mandatory health screenings for international commercial arrivals (with hours-long waits), and seemingly random...

BLADE Announces Charters at Operating Cost for those affected by COVID-19

17 March 2020 || 3 min read

From a BLADE press release: “Given the unprecedented level of uncertainty regarding commercial flight travel restrictions, mandatory health screenings for international commercial arrivals (with hours-long waits), and seemingly random decisions regarding quarantines, many of our fliers are eager to transport family, friends, and colleagues home via private air travel.”

A typical aircraft coordinated by BLADE UAM, operated by JFI Jets. Image // Elite Daily

BLADE furthered the statement by outlining that they have been coordinating with federal authorities, full-time state and local government advisors, and operator partners to help customers navigate the confusion regarding current, planned, and in-process restrictions and processes that remain critical to making informed judgments regarding private air travel at this time.

The key announcement: In an effort to best assist our community, BLADE is now providing charter availability for our entire accessible fleet of long-range jets at operating cost to anyone in need of transportation from an international location back to the United States.

Additionally, given the shortage of available aircraft, and in an effort to help as many travelers as possible, BLADE encouraged that these flights be shared, either through coordination by BLADE or by fliers themselves, assuming travelers had taken necessary precautions to ensure that they were not infected.

Why it’s important: BLADE’s reduction in cost for charters and on-demand transportation services has allowed customers access to international travel when they may not be able to access via any other means due to restrictions placed on commercial airlines. Regardless, those who are in greatest need of traveling for urgent situations, or attempting to return home to their families, still have the opportunity to do so. This announcement also falls in concert with the larger direction of the commercial airline industry being hit incredibly hard by the COVID-19 outbreaks, causing reductions in carrying capacity, crew leaves of absence, and extensive delays, cancellations, and rescheduling of airfares.

Simon Briceno Joins Jaunt Air Mobility

01 March 2020 || 3 min read

Simon Briceno Joins Jaunt Air Mobility

01 March 2020 || 3 min read

Dr. Simon Briceno joins the aerial mobility startup, Jaunt Air Mobility, as their lead in UAM development, and will head Jaunt’s operational initiatives with Uber Elevate and their network of aerospace and infrastructure partners, according to a Jaunt press release. “The addition of Dr. Briceno to the Jaunt Air Mobility team is further validation of Jaunt’s leadership position in Urban Air Mobility.” said Kaydon Stanzione CEO of Jaunt Air Mobility, “With his years of aviation research experience at the highest levels and his depth of knowledge in transformative flight and Urban Air Mobility, Dr. Briceno is an important addition to the Jaunt team.”

Dr. Briceno previously worked eight years as Transformative Aviation Concepts Division Chief at the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory at Georgia Institute of Technology. After receiving his BSME from Syracuse University and his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, he spent 12 years as a Senior Research Engineer at the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory at Georgia Tech and 8 years as Transformative Aviation Concepts Division Chief at the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory at Georgia Tech.

Dr. Briceno has conducted several landmark Urban Air Mobility studies and has authored over 70 technical papers concerning the study of air mobility operations conceptual design, autonomous systems, and aviation safety and certification. His specialization is in the development of advanced design methods to assess electric vehicle technologies in emerging Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aviation markets and developing methods for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) autonomous path planning. He is also an active pilot.

According to Dr. Briceno, “I elected to join Jaunt Air Mobility because they are not only developing the safest, quietest and most operationally efficient, all-electric VTOL aircraft for the UAM mission, but their focus includes developing the complete Urban Air Mobility eco-system. This allows me to apply my years of experience and research directly to Jaunt’s business model.”

Why it’s important: Dr. Briceno brings a wealth of experience and research knowledge to Jaunt Air Mobility, and will greatly aid Jaunt’s goal of implementing a full aerial mobility ecosystem. With this addition, Jaunt Air Mobility looks to be one of the most promising companies that will offer such a service.

Source // Jaunt Air Mobility press release

EHang Implements Air Transport to Aid Coronavirus Medical Emergencies

26 February 2020 || 4 min read

EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) has announced new progress in implementing real-world Urban Air Mobility (UAM) applications for medical emergency transport uses to combat the coronavirus outbreak in China. Related: EHang’s IPO Results in $662 Million Valuation In recent exercises for the prevention and control of coronavirus epidemic organized by the local authorities of Hezhou city in Guangxi province, EHang 216, the two-seat passenger-grade AAV...

EHang Implements Air Transport to Aid Coronavirus Medical Emergencies

26 February 2020 || 4 min read

In recent exercises for the prevention and control of coronavirus epidemic organized by the local authorities of Hezhou city in Guangxi province, EHang 216, the two-seat passenger-grade AAV successfully transported medical supplies from Hezhou Square to the Hezhou People’s Hospital, which is 4 kilometers apart, by accurately landing on a 25-story rooftop of the hospital.

The EHang 216 AAV autonomously returned following the delivery. The 8-kilometer round-trip flight operation was unmanned which is critical in current epidemic situation. This has opened up a new opportunity for EHang’s AAVs in immediate UAM applications such as medical emergency transport, which currently largely relies on ambulance cars or helicopters.

More importantly, designed as a passenger-grade AAV, EHang 216 can not only transport medical supplies, but also transport personnel in emergency situations. Edward Xu, EHang’s Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), took a 4-kilometer autonomous flight from the city center and landed safely on the rooftop of the hospital (picture below) in one of the series of urban passenger-carrying flights to test run this use case in Hezhou, including the flights at nights, with the range covering the whole city (over 15 kilometers) and at a cruising speed as high as 90 kilometers per hour.

EHang 216 preparing to land with CSO Edward Xu aboard, proving its ability to assist in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Credit // EHang

“Personally, I’m proud to be one of the passengers to take the initial autonomous flights for medical emergency transport, and enjoyed the safe, fast and smooth journey. In urban emergency situation, this enables people or goods to be transported efficiently across the city in nearly straight-line routes. More importantly, as a passenger, I was free to enjoy my tea and urban scenery during the whole flight as everything was automatically piloted,” said Edward. “Such successful flights have demonstrated EHang’s capabilities in delivering safe and high quality AAVs to meet mission-critical demands in real life. We will continue to implement more UAM applications.”

Why it’s important: From surveillance to medical supply deliveries, China has deployed many cutting edge technologies in support of the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. EHang has proven the ability of its 216 eVTOL to support in these critical circumstances, and is not the first demonstration of aerial mobility technology being used in real-world medical support applications. An increase in the variety of successful executions of urban air mobility technology continues to advance the mobility industry and expand what many have thought possible for the utility of these vehicles.

USAF Agility Prime Solicitation Kicks Off Tomorrow

24 February 2020 || 4 min read

The United States Air Force plans to release a solicitation for its Agility Prime program: an exchange of government resources in exchange for knowledge transfer, aerial demonstration flights, and potential buyouts of various aerial mobility companies that elect to participate. The Agility Prime program is the flagship eVTOL program for the USAF, as an increasing number of military organizations across...

USAF Agility Prime Solicitation Kicks Off Tomorrow

24 February 2020 || 4 min read

The Agility Prime program is the flagship eVTOL program for the USAF, as an increasing number of military organizations across the world become more and more interested in applications of aerial mobility technology as supplemental (and eventually in replacement of) current mobility offerings for both manned and unmanned missions.

USAF Acquisition Chief, Dr. Will Roper, told reporters of the Prime Project: “It’s going to be a challenge-based acquisition plan, so we’ll have different durations of flight and payloads that have to be carried. And if you pass the hurdle then you’ll move further down the wickets of getting safety certified by the Air Force and moving on to a procurement contract.”

Dr. Roper also added that the intent of the project was to identify candidates that can conduct repeatable and regular flights of their eVTOL designs “in 2020” meaning that companies searching for seed funding, or that were earlier on the in preliminary design phases wouldn’t be ideally suited for Agility Prime.

Avionics International reports on the specific requirements the USAF has established for participating aircraft: “Aircraft applying to participate must make their first full-scale flight prior to December 17, 2020, and be capable of carrying 3-8 personnel greater than 100 miles at speeds exceeding 100 mph, with an endurance over 60 minutes — capabilities that very few currently-flying eVTOLs claim to have.”

Additionally, Agility Prime serves as an early certification pathway for many aerial mobility companies, which could potentially aid in speeding the certification process for civilian flight operations – a commonly cited hurdle in successful deployment of commercial air taxi operations. Economic validations will be conducted on the following five topics (and these criteria will be evaluated against the claim of aerial mobility becoming a more efficient means of transport than any existing medium today)”

Lower maintenance cost due to simplified mechanical design
Improved safety and declining personnel demands, using autonomy
Affordable quantity, based on potential mass production
Improved acoustics, employing distributed propulsion
Greater flexibility and reduced infrastructure needs, with runway independence

Why it’s important: The Agility Prime program represents a large commitment from the USAF to be at the forefront of aerial mobility technology, while also serving as a method of benefit for existing eVTOL manufacturers. The offering of test ranges and Air Force certification processes represents one fo the largest tangible commitments by a large government agency to advance the aerial mobility industry to date. While the USAF’s funding is unconfirmed, reports from various independent news outlets state that the USAF has achieved the necessary funding to commence its solicitation.

Volocopter Extends Series C funding to €87 million with DB Schenker’s Investment

23 February 2020 || 3 min read

Volocopter and DB Schenker announced an investment by the global logistics service provider into the aerial mobility startup as Volocopter extends its Series C funding to now a total of €87 million. Volocopter’s Series C funding now includes DB Schenker, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, MS&AD Ventures, and TransLink Capital (Japan Airlines and Sompo Japan Insurance), Lukasz Gadowski and btov also...

Volocopter Extends Series C funding to €87 million with DB Schenker’s Investment

23 February 2020 || 3 min read

Volocopter’s Series C funding now includes DB Schenker, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, MS&AD Ventures, and TransLink Capital (Japan Airlines and Sompo Japan Insurance), Lukasz Gadowski and btov also invested. The funding is most likely aimed at the certification for Volocopter’s project: VoloCity, as well as funding a second-generation VoloDrone and hiring more industry experts. As of now, Volocopter’s total funding is at €122 million.

VoloCity is Volocopter’s autonomous electrical VTOL aircraft project where they plan to offer air taxi services across metropolitan areas across the world. Recently, Volocopter completed a public flight over the Marina Bay Reservoir in Singapore. “We are convinced that the Volocopter technology has the potential to bring transport logistics to the next dimension for our customers”, says Jochen Thewes, CEO of DB Schenker. “DB Schenker has already tested autonomous and electrical vehicles in several innovation projects and in actual operations. By integrating the VoloDrone into our supply chain of the future, we will be able to serve our clients’ demand for fast, remote, emission-neutral deliveries. We are thrilled to now be part of this drive for innovation in a fantastic team.”

According to Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, “The new shareholder structure strengthens our global network of strategic and financial partners significantly. Bringing urban air mobility to life for passengers and goods is a great ambition and with our new partners, we bring the expertise and necessary long-term funds on board to make this innovative form of mobility a reality.” Volocopter also recently appointed Yifan “Frank” Li, Vice President of Geely Holding Group Co, Ltd., and Jochen Thewes, CEO of DB Schenker, as new additions to its Advisory Board.

Why it’s important: Volocopter continues to secure their future development as their Series C funding round now finishes at €87 million. The company remains one of the most promising aerial mobility startups in the industry, and comes closer to offering their products and services within the decade.

Source // American Journal of Transportation

Volocopter and Grab conduct air-taxi feasibility study in Southeast Asia

19 February 2020 || 4 min read

From Volocopter Press Release German Urban Air Mobility company Volocopter (Bruchsal) and Southeast Asia’s super app Grab (Singapore) announced that they will conduct a joint feasibility study on urban air mobility as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the prospect of urban air mobility solutions in the region’s megacities. The feasibility study will look into the most...

Volocopter and Grab conduct air-taxi feasibility study in Southeast Asia

19 February 2020 || 4 min read

From Volocopter Press Release

German Urban Air Mobility company Volocopter (Bruchsal) and Southeast Asia’s super app Grab (Singapore) announced that they will conduct a joint feasibility study on urban air mobility as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore the prospect of urban air mobility solutions in the region’s megacities.

Image // Volocopter, in Singapore

The feasibility study will look into the most suitable cities and routes to deploy air taxis in Southeast Asian cities; evaluate the best use cases for air taxis, and explore the possibility of joint flight tests, among other things.

The findings will lay the groundwork for potential future cooperation between both companies which could include launching services related to urban air mobility. Both companies aim to help solve mobility issues and improve the quality of life through technological innovations.

Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter: “This cooperation is another important step towards the commercialization of Urban Air Mobility in one of the most traffic congested regions of the world. Together, we will learn from unprecedented insights into the economic and societal opportunity of launching our services on the hottest routes in the Southeast Asian Market. This collaboration also offers the potential for a much larger cooperation which could eventually extend intermodal mobility to the skies.”

Volocopter has been pioneering the development of urban air mobility since the company proved in 2011 that electrically powered vertical flight is indeed possible for humans. With flights in Dubai, Las Vegas, Helsinki, Stuttgart, and most recently Singapore, the technology is maturing towards certification quickly. For the flight over Singapore’s Marina Bay, the company worked closely with the local Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Recently, Volocopter has been certified as a Design Organisation by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and works in close collaboration with them to receive the necessary permits to start commercial operations.

Chris Yeo, Head of Grab Ventures, said: “As a superapp that operates across 339 cities in Southeast Asia, Grab has gathered traffic patterns and customer insights in the region that can help our teams come up with the most innovative mobility solutions to plug the gaps in the transport landscape. This partnership will enable Volocopter to further develop urban air mobility solutions that are relevant for Southeast Asian commuters so they can decide on their preferred journey option based on their budgets, time constraints and other needs, in a seamless way.”

Why it’s important: This partnership is hugely important for both Grab and Volocopter since the TAM in Singapore and southeast Asia for aerial mobility applications is quite large – and the pace of aerial mobility technology development in those areas is extremely quick as well. Volocopter’s continued efforts to expand their global reach and become a commonly-known air taxi and mobility company (for now in the realm of the aerial mobility industry, at least) is furthered by the announcement of this MOU.

Auterion and Quantum-Systems Partner on VTOL sUAS

16 February 2020 || 4 min read

Auterion Government Solutions Inc (AGS Inc) and Quantum-Systems GmbH announced that they have partnered to bring The Vector and Scorpion small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) to the U.S. Government Defense and Security markets. Combining Auterion OS, a secure, scalable, open-source, operating system, with Quantum-Systems hardware, the partners plan to provide a useful “ a 2-in-1 system kit” for the US...

Auterion and Quantum-Systems Partner on VTOL sUAS

16 February 2020 || 4 min read

The Vector and Scorpion form a unique 2-in-1 system kit. Scorpion is a tri-copter that can be utilized for dynamic urban environments that require a combination of maneuverability and hover to collect ISR and Situation Awareness information. Vector is of similar design to the Scorpion, except configured at the base fuselage with fixed wings and tail section, designed as an energy-efficient, fixed-wing VTOL for longer range, longer endurance ISR missions. With this partnership, both systems will be integrated with Auterion Enterprise PX4 software, Auterion Ground Station™ software, and the Auterion Hand-Held Ground Control Station (H-GCS), forming an open ecosystem that aligns with the DoD’s Group 1 UAS Architecture and requirements for a common Group 1 control system.

David Sharpin, CEO of AGS Inc said, “We are excited to be working with Quantum-Systems to bring forth a new, integrated, rucksack portable sUAS that we feel will transform the way our customers collect, process and disseminate ISR and Situation Awareness information, in all environments. AGS Inc and Quantum-Systems are standing up manufacturing operations in the US and are utilizing assured subsystems and software to provide a secure solution offering for our customers.”

Florian Seibel, CEO of Quantum-Systems said, “Teaming up with AGS Inc will change the market in many ways. AGS Inc is a key partner in the development and deployment of DoD’s Group 1 UAS Architecture. Together with our new tactical platforms Vector and Scorpion, this will meet the requirements and needs of the U.S. Government Defense and Security markets. We will enable our global customers to either run our proprietary stack or be integrated with AGS Inc’s enterprise software and H-GCS from now on. By setting up a US entity, Quantum-Systems will move closer to the customer while working on setting up a large scale US production.”

Learn more about AGS Inc here.

Learn more about Quantum-Systems here.

Why it’s important: While AGS Inc and Quantum-Systems’ work isn’t directly linked to the aerial mobility market, having their work added to the US Defense and Security markets lends credence to the possibility that a variation of these systems could be integrated in the near future for commercial UAS aircraft as well.

Source // UAS Weekly

Singapore to Develop Aerial Mobility Service with Airbus

12 February 2020 || 4 min read

Singapore and Airbus have secured a deal to lay the foundations for potential services with both passenger and larger cargo carrying air vehicles throughout Singapore. The island-nation-state’s plan to improve regional connectivity builds on an earlier agreement established in 2016 between Airbus and Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) for proof-of-concept trials of a cargo-carrying Skyways unmanned air system. Under the memorandum of...

Singapore to Develop Aerial Mobility Service with Airbus

12 February 2020 || 4 min read

Under the memorandum of understanding, Airbus and CAAS will develop an unmanned traffic management (UTM) system to support the early phase of the air mobility service. The two will also collaborate on developing a framework for safety and operating standards as well as study issues such as public acceptance. The framework will be based upon many of the learnings that have come out of Airbus’s Skyway program, which studied the ability to pre-program safe aerial routes for autonomous drones to execute short-range parcel deliveries.

According to Jean-Brice Dumont, executive vice president of engineering for Airbus, “Skyways was a laboratory for UAM at a smaller scale. Now we need to go the extra mile, so with this agreement we are doing that. There are still questions of the business case and technology. In terms of business, we can see an appetite in the market, even though it’s a niche right now for more emergency needs where time is of the essence or where its value-added, like shore-to-ship deliveries.”

Volocopter Air Taxi Makes First Urban Manned Flight in Singapore

Technology studies will focus on traffic management as well as “the overall system, guarantees, performance, safety and cost,” says Dumont. “We are flying with a couple of vehicles and in that sense, we are already there. But when you are flying with 20 or 100 vehicles at the same time along given routes then you are defining a system and that’s what we are doing with UTM.” The vehicles that Airbus plans to implement in this program will likely be similar to what has already been developed and tested by the manufacturer. Just last month, the CityAirbus made its first untethered flight in Donauwörth, Germany, and the Vahana wrapped up its flight testing Pendleton Airport in Oregon.

Airbus Vahana amidst a test flight at Pendleton Airport in Oregon, USA. Credit // Airbus

This memorandum of understanding between Singapore and Airbus mirrors a similar agreement between Bell, Japan Airlines and Sumitomo Corp. to explore on-demand air mobility services in Japan. The partnership was announced just days prior, and centers on the use of the recently unveiled Nexus 4EX eVTOL, which plans to address air mobility studies as well as the required infrastructure and regulatory environment.

Why it’s important: Top urban air vehicle manufacturers are beginning to seek opportunities around the globe to stand up small-scale implementations of their technologies in a realistic environment. These applications and opportunities are signaling the increased readiness of the vehicles to be tested in a realistic environment in which the services can eventually be scaled to fulfill commercial passenger transportation needs. Incremental steps in these introductory applications are the key to proving the safety of the technology and garnering the required public acceptance in order to eventually make aerial mobility widespread.

Source // Aviation Week

What new Breeze Airlines has to do with Aerial Mobility

11 February 2020 || 5 min read

What could today’s air carriers tell us about future aerial mobility operations? Recently founded Breeze airways serves as a case study for the operational framework that aerial mobility operations intend on capitalizing upon in order to connect the most people through disruptive transportation methods. David Neeleman, who founded JetBlue over 20 years ago, announced plans to start Breeze airlines, his...

What new Breeze Airlines has to do with Aerial Mobility

11 February 2020 || 5 min read

David Neeleman, who founded JetBlue over 20 years ago, announced plans to start Breeze airlines, his fifth airline startup, earlier this week. Neeleman has previously launched Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue and Azul. Breeze will be a Utah-based carrier, and Neeleman has stated that his flights intend to serve underserved and unappreciated city pairs using primarily A220 and E195 aircraft.

According to The Chicago Tribune, Neeleman’s approach is to “prioritize a customer-centric system by taking methods from Uber and Amazon and launching an app-based toolkit that would allow passengers to find tickets, change or update travel plans, and add other travel necessities such as car rentals and accommodations”.

Image // USA Today

This approach, and the larger approach from Breeze to operate underserved city pairs with more efficient commercial-sized aircraft, reflect the general sentiment of the economics of the aerial mobility industry – create a point to point nodal network of operations, in lieu of a hub and spoke model – to realize the largest benefits for reduction of connecting flights (in airline speak) or additional car or bike/scooter trips (in aerial mobility speak).

While this comparison is far from direct, it helps to emphasize the high level direction of the commercial airline industry, and underscore the acknowledgment of executive leadership in commercial aviation operations to start to shift their mindsets.

Neeleman also commented on the ease and customer experience with aptly named Breeze: “The goal is to have our customers … never having to speak with anybody, if they don’t want to,” Neeleman said. “Add a car, add a hotel, cancel a flight, make changes, it will all be there at your fingertips. Completely hassle-free flying.” This sort of approach is exactly that of BLADE UAM and other on-demand aerial mobility companies that intend on users being able to book an entire trip through an app in a matter of minutes.

Regarding flight operations, Breeze Aviation is also shifting towards aircraft that perform exceptionally well on a nodal, small to medium size passenger base route: 30 Embraer 195 aircraft from Azul are leased that are expected to start flights in May, and Neeleman has ordered 60 new Airbus 220-300 aircraft that are expected to start flights in April 2021, company officials said.

The Airbus A220, currently being operated by Delta Airlines in The States, is performing exceptionally well on medium-haul routes, leveraging recent avionics, propulsion, and customer and cabin experience technologies that gain widespread passenger approval. The E195, part of the Embraer E-Jets family, is a top performer on routes that are slightly shorter than that of the A220.

According to Neeleman, Breeze could earn more than $1 million in tax rebates on plans to make over $3 million in capital investments and hire about 370 employees.

Why it’s important: While Breeze Airways is a new short to medium haul airline, the goals that Neeleman has emphasized with regards to customer experience in booking through travel lifecycle, paired with the focus on nodal transport networks and newer, fuel efficient commercial aircraft represent a paradigm shift that many larger carriers will inevitably adopt over the coming years. The airline industry is a difficult one to navigate – and Breeze’s pathway towards profitability will likely serve as a good barometer for larger cultural shifts in the aviation industry in years to come. Aerial mobility has already adopted (and may be argued is a pioneer of) the approach that Breeze Airways is taking towards transportation.

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Category: Operators

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Volocopter Begins Reservations for Electric Air Taxi Flights

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Simon Briceno Joins Jaunt Air Mobility

Simon Briceno Joins Jaunt Air Mobility

EHang Implements Air Transport to Aid Coronavirus Medical Emergencies

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USAF Agility Prime Solicitation Kicks Off Tomorrow

USAF Agility Prime Solicitation Kicks Off Tomorrow

Volocopter Extends Series C funding to €87 million with DB Schenker’s Investment

Volocopter Extends Series C funding to €87 million with DB Schenker’s Investment

Volocopter and Grab conduct air-taxi feasibility study in Southeast Asia

Volocopter and Grab conduct air-taxi feasibility study in Southeast Asia

Auterion and Quantum-Systems Partner on VTOL sUAS

Auterion and Quantum-Systems Partner on VTOL sUAS

Singapore to Develop Aerial Mobility Service with Airbus

Singapore to Develop Aerial Mobility Service with Airbus

What new Breeze Airlines has to do with Aerial Mobility

What new Breeze Airlines has to do with Aerial Mobility

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