Joby Wins Government Grant to Support California Expansion
The state of California has awarded Joby Aviation a $9.8 million CalCompetes grant to support the company’s expansion in the Golden State. Joby said the funding will support a “significant expansion” of the company’s flight testing and pilot production facilities in Marina, California, and help to create 690 full-time jobs across its California locations by 2027.
In addition to its Marina facilities, Joby has offices in Santa Cruz and San Carlos, as well as in Washington, D.C. and Munich, Germany. The company is also building a scaled manufacturing plant in Dayton, Ohio, where it plans to mass-produce its five-seat eVTOL aircraft in 2025.
AutoFlight and Falcon Aviation Partner on AAM in the Middle East and Africa
Falcon Aviation Services, a helicopter and fixed-wing charter operator in the UAE, has partnered with AutoFlight to come up with a strategy for advanced air mobility (AAM) in the Middle East and Africa. AutoFlight is a Chinese start-up developing an autonomous eVTOL aircraft for commercial air taxi, cargo, and firefighting applications, as well as sightseeing flights for tourists. The company claims to have set the record for the longest flight of an eVTOL aircraft with its fourth-generation prototype earlier this year.
Abu Dhabi-based Falcon Aviation also plans to operate Archer’s Midnight eVTOL aircraft in Dubai, and last year the company partnered with Eve Air Mobility to launch eVTOL air taxi services from the Atlantis luxury resort in the city. Falcon Aviation has also expressed interest in developing and operating vertiports.
Honeywell AAM Unit Grows into $10 Billion Business
Honeywell’s advanced air mobility unit has generated more than $10 billion in business, the company said last week at the Dubai Airshow. The figure represents contract values based on a forecast number of AAM vehicles the company expects various manufacturers will build.
Since its establishment a little more than three years ago, Honeywell’s AAM business has secured business with companies including Archer Aviation, Lilium, Pipistrel, and Vertical Aerospace. Honeywell offers a range of products in the AAM space, including avionics, actuation systems, and sensors such as the RDR-84K radar and AH2000 attitude heading reference systems.
Bellwether Selects Propulsion, Connectivity Partners for Personal eVTOL
Bellwether Industries has partnered with Schubeler on the development of electric propulsion systems for its Volar line of personal eVTOL aircraft, and it has selected Viasat to provide airborne connectivity for the vehicles, the company announced last week during the Dubai Airshow.
Schubeler, which provides off-the-shelf electric ducted fans and custom propulsion systems, supported Bellwether’s development of its early-generation Antelope prototype and will collaborate on the launch of the Oryx model now undergoing testing in Dubai.