FutureFlight

Merlin Pilot Notches Regulatory Milestone in New Zealand

Autonomous flight pioneer Merlin says it has reached a milestone in its certification efforts with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAA). According to the company, the CAA has concluded its review of the first stage of the process and approved Merlin's plan for software aspects of its Merlin Pilot system.

Companies in the advanced air mobility sector aim to revolutionize the way people and cargo move around by introducing new modes of air transportation that are more efficient, sustainable, and accessible than ever before. While technological developments and regulatory approval are the focus of these companies’ efforts to get new aircraft to market, those efforts will be futile if they do not successfully engage with the communities in which their aircraft will operate, according to a member of the FAA’s Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee. 

The advanced air mobility (AAM) pioneers that have made ambitious pledges to investors that revenues from eVTOL aircraft will start flowing by 2025 have a mountain to climb. With financial markets now rattled by factors such as global political instability, the steepest part of the ascent is now being undertaken with some players running low on capital just as they face the highest rates of expenditure.

Aura Aero has unveiled a revised configuration for its 19-passenger ERA hybrid-electric regional airliner, for which it says the design is now frozen. At a press conference on May 12, the French start-up also said it has completed ground testing of the prototype for its Integral E electric training aircraft and expects to be ready to start flight testing before the end of this year.

Leasing group Monte this week became the latest prospective customer for Eviation’s Alice aircraft, signing a letter of intent on May 11 calling for orders for up to 30 of the all-electric fixed-wing model that will seat up to nine passengers. The UK-based company says it will provide financing and leasing options for companies wanting to operate the Alice, as well as charging infrastructure to support regional air services.

Archer Aviation has completed the assembly of its first Midnight eVTOL air taxi and shipped the aircraft to a flight test facility to prepare for its first flight this summer. As the company works toward getting its four-seat air taxi certified and into commercial service by 2025, it also is fortifying its engagement with the U.S. Department of Defense to pursue possible military applications for the eVTOL aircraft. On May 10, Archer announced the formation of a Government Services Advisory Board that will help to oversee and inform its work with the Pentagon. 

FlightSafety will produce multiple advanced training devices to prepare pilots to fly the Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft. The training specialist is also making a preliminary eSim device representing the vehicle's cockpit that engineers can use for development and certification work.

Japan's SkyTaxi Orders 50 Plana eVTOL Aircraft

Autonomous flight pioneer Xwing has received a small business innovation research contract from the U.S. Air Force’s Afwerx Prime program to study potential defense applications for remotely piloted aircraft. As part of the agreement, the California-based company will collaborate with the USAF on a 21-month flight test campaign using its experimental self-flying Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. During these remotely operated flights, USAF officials will provide feedback on Xwing's "Superpilot" autonomous flight control system to help the company refine and optimize the technology for defense applications.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with California-based eVTOL air tax developer Wisk Aero to bring autonomous air taxi flights to Japan, the companies announced Tuesday. JAL is the first airline to partner with Wisk, which revealed its self-flying air taxi, called Gen 6, in October. As part of the agreement, Wisk will work closely with the airline’s maintenance subsidiary, JAL Engineering Co. (JALEC), to come up with plans for the operation and maintenance of Wisk’s autonomous air taxis in Japan. But JAL is not yet committing to purchasing any of Wisk’s aircraft.