FutureFlight

A letter of intent signed by Ferrovial Airports and Eve Air Mobility calls for the companies to collaborate on infrastructure development for U.S. and European eVTOL operations. Eve’s urban ATM software serves as the centerpiece of the partnership.

Lyte Aviation this week unveiled plans for a pair of high-capacity, long-range VTOL aircraft aimed at both cargo- and passenger-carrying applications. The European start-up seeks to produce a full-scale prototype of the LA-44 SkyBus, intended to carry up to 40 passengers, within the next 24 months.

Swedish electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace and the government of Åland will collaborate on the deployment of Heart’s hybrid-electric regional airliner, the ES-30, on the Baltic Sea group of islands.

Destinus this week received two grants from the Spanish government to support its efforts to develop hydrogen propulsion for planned long-range hypersonic and supersonic aircraft. Eventually, it wants to bring a 100-passenger airliner into commercial service than can fly at globe-shrinking speeds of Mach 5.

Avions Mauboussin has flown a subscale model of its planned Alérion M1h two-seat fixed-wing aircraft. The French start-up intends to develop a hybrid-electric version of the model before following up with a hydrogen-powered version.

The flight with a battery-electric M1h model happened on February 23 but was not reported by Avions Mauboussin until this week. The company is conducting tests at the Montbéliard-Courcelles airfield near its headquarters at Belfort in eastern France.

Archer Aviation and United Airlines plan to launch an aerial ridesharing service in Chicago using Archer’s four-passenger Midnight eVTOL aircraft. The commercial air taxi route, scheduled to launch in 2025, will transport passengers between O’Hare International Airport and Vertiport Chicago, the city’s only downtown heliport facility.

Studies conducted under a partnership between Honeywell Aerospace and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts aim to solve the challenges inherent in hydrogen power storage and generation for aircraft. A group of roughly 25 Honeywell team members now work with WPI experts and students under a multiyear contract to develop hydrogen storage and fuel cell technologies.

EHang says it has completed 90 percent of the tasks associated with type certification of its EH216 eVTOL aircraft by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and estimates that 70 percent of the remaining testing of its production-conforming aircraft is either completed or in progress.

Air charter broker Gayo Aviation has signed up as the launch customer for the PHA-ZE 100 electric amphibious aircraft being developed by Swiss-based start-up Jekta. The company says it will make the aircraft available for environmental and experiential tourism, as well as for sale or lease to charter operators seeking to diversify their fleets and scheduled regional airlines looking to connect underserved communities.

Regent says that support from Lockheed Martin Ventures will further its plans to develop military applications for its electric-powered sea gliders. The U.S. start-up says it has begun developing a full-scale prototype for the 12-passenger Viceroy vehicle and intends to start piloted test flights in 2024 as it prepares to certify the sea glider under maritime rules in time for commercial services to start in 2025.