FutureFlight

Some emerging advanced air mobility companies continue to face significant financial headwinds as witnessed by the decidedly cool market reaction to Surf Air Mobility’s direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange late on July 27. Ahead of the initial public offering, Surf Air merged with Southern Airways Express, which operates a fleet of turbine-powered Cessna Caravans mainly under FAA Essential Air Service contracts. Working with partners including MagniX and AeroTec, the company intends to convert existing aircraft to use electric propulsion systems.

Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS) this week opened the refurbished research and development facility where it will advance its plans to bring hydrogen-powered regional airliners to market in 2026. The company is working with UK airframer Britten-Norman to produce carbon-free versions of its Islander family of nine-passenger aircraft, which currently run on a pair of piston or turboprop engines.

Beta Technologies Hosts Visit by U.S. Senator and White House Adviser

South Korean hybrid VTOL aircraft developer Plana is set to lease space at the new U.S. National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) in Springfield, Ohio, as part of the company’s expansion plans and efforts to accelerate its research and development work. The new facility, which has financial backing from the Pentagon, is due to officially open on September 18, with two other eVTOL manufacturers, Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies, already having agreed to use the site for simulation technology.

Supernal, the advanced air mobility subsidiary of Korean carmaker Hyundai, has opened its new engineering headquarters in Irvine, California, the company announced Tuesday. This facility is where Supernal will conduct the bulk of the development work for its four-passenger SA-1 eVTOL air taxi, which the company plans to have certified and in service by 2028. 

Whisper Aero has broken ground on a new flight testing facility in Tennessee, where the tech start-up plans to integrate its ultraquiet propulsion system into future aircraft. The company says its proprietary propulsion system, which uses electric ducted fans, will be quieter and more efficient than anything on the market today, and it can be scaled for a variety of applications ranging from aircraft to leaf blowers. 

The Bao’an district of the vast city of Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province is set to become a hub for advanced air mobility (AAM) services, with its district government now having signed partnership agreements with three eVTOL aircraft developers. Earlier this month, officials there signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China-based AutoFlight, which is working to bring its Prosperity I aircraft to market.

Having flown its hydrogen-powered Dornier 228 testbed airplane 10 times over the past six months, ZeroAvia says it has wrapped up its initial flight test campaign and is now preparing for its first cross-country flights. ZeroAvia retrofitted the 19-seat twin turboprop with a prototype of its 600-kilowatt ZA600 powertrain, which uses hydrogen fuel cells to generate electricity. 

Through a partnership with hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft developer Lyte Aviation, Uniwastec is exploring how it could deploy its process for converting wastewater or saltwater into hydrogen, using compact production units close to airports or landing sites. Lyte Aviation's plans to develop the SkyBus and SkyTruck tandem tilt-wing vehicles are now being supported by technical help from fleet-management specialist Amros Global.

Vietnam's CT UAV group and South Carolina-based Part 135 charter operator Austin Aviation this week signed agreements covering preorders for up to 105 of SkyDrive's SD-05 three-seat eVTOL aircraft, which is expected to enter service in 2026. The Japanese manufacturer is establishing a U.S. base in South Carolina and views export markets like Vietnam as promising early adopters of advanced air mobility services.