FutureFlight

Hydrogen-electric aircraft propulsion system developer ZeroAvia says it has achieved record-breaking performance while testing the high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HTPEM) systems in its hydrogen fuel cells. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be in charge of investigating all accidents and certain incidents that occur during eVTOL flights, Tim LeBaron, director of the NTSB’s Office of Aviation Safety, said March 7 during a panel discussion on aviation policy at the Heli-Expo show in Atlanta. LeBaron stressed that eVTOL aircraft should have cameras and data recorders, even if regulators do not require them.

Evia Aero seeks to operate a hydrogen-powered Islander aircraft and/or Eviation's all-electric Alice model to bring regional air service to underserved communities across northern Europe. But first, the German company wants to get all the supporting infrastructure in place.

The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation is working with Airbus to devise ways to deploy the manufacturer’s in-development CityAirbus NextGen aircraft for emergency medical flights. The partnership between the not-for-profit emergency medical service provider and the aircraft manufacturer was announced on March 8 during the Heli-Expo show in Atlanta.

Senior leaders from eVTOL developers Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, and Jaunt Air Mobility were part of a discussion of prospects for the advanced air mobility sector during the Helicopter Association International's Heli-Expo show. Also contributing to the panel were prospective operators Bristow and Blade Air Mobility.

Global helicopter services operator PHI Aviation has entered into a long-term agreement with Kaman Corporation to use Kaman’s Kargo UAV for commercial operations, the companies announced Tuesday at Heli-Expo in Atlanta. As part of the new partnership, PHI has agreed to purchase 50 Kargo UAVs for its commercial operations.

Beta Technologies, an electric aerospace start-up and eVTOL developer based in Vermont, has opened a research and development facility in Montréal, the company announced Wednesday. The facility is at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport in Dorval, a suburban city on the island of Montréal in Quebec province. 

More than 50 employees have been hired at the new engineering hub, which opened in late 2022, and Beta plans to significantly increase the size of its workforce at the location this year, a company spokesperson told FutureFlight. 

During the Sustainable Skies conference in April, UK industry group Sustainable Aviation will publish the fifth edition of its annual carbon roadmap. This will identify key opportunities for airlines and airports to decarbonize, including the possibility of using hydrogen propulsion.

The Airo Group is to merge with Kernel Group Holdings and then complete an initial public offering that it says could value the company at around $847 million. The company says it can deliver growth through business units including eVTOL aircraft developer Jaunt Air Mobility and drone operations activities.

Doroni Aerospace completed a further round of crowdfunding on March 3, raising almost $2.5 million from more than 1,000 investors to support its plans to bring the two-seat H1 personal eVTOL to market. The Florida-based start-up closed the StartEngine.com campaign within days of releasing a video showing a full-scale technology demonstrator making a short tethered hover flight at its 13,000-sq-ft headquarters in Pompano Beach.