FutureFlight

Joby Aviation says it has notched another major milestone on the path to type certification for its five-seat eVTOL aircraft. The company today announced it has completed the second of five stages in the FAA type certification process by completing its means of compliance, a document that outlines all the ways in which the company plans to comply with the safety rules that were defined in its certification basis.

From 2030, Air New Zealand wants to start replacing its De Havilland Dash 8-300 twin turboprop regional aircraft with zero-emissions equipment. Through its Mission Next Generation Aircraft program, it is now making preparations and considering options with aircraft manufacturers Embraer, Heart Aerospace, ATR and Airbus, as well as with Universal Hydrogen, which is working to convert Dash 8s and ATR twin turboprops to zero emissions propulsion systems.

During this week's meeting of the UK's Jet Zero Council, the country's business and transport departments announced new funding for research and development work to achieve net zero carbon emissions from air transport by 2050. The government also announced a new consultation on plans to achieve this goal for airports in England by 2040.

The FAA has granted Universal Hydrogen an experimental airworthiness certificate, giving the start-up the green light to proceed with the first test flight of its hydrogen-powered De Havilland Dash 8-300 testbed. Announcing the approval on February 7, the California-based company also said it has already conducted taxi tests with the technology demonstrator aircraft.

Energy group Shell and Rotterdam The Hague Airport in the Netherlands are working with ZeroAvia to prepare safety standards and protocols for refueling hydrogen-powered aircraft. ZeroAvia, which recently conducted a first test flight with a Dornier 228 technology demonstrator, intends to convert existing regional airliners to hydrogen propulsion using its fuel cell technology.

Samad Aerospace, the UK start-up working on the Starling family of eVTOL and eSTOL aircraft, has rebooted itself under the name ARC Aero Systems and with an ambitious business plan to bring new models to market: a compound rotorcraft as well as a pair of autonomous cargo uncrewed air vehicles (UAVs). ARC stands for Advancing Regional Connectivity, and its founder, Seyed Mohseni, says that the company’s mission has shifted to serving subregional passenger and freight applications, rather than short flights within urban areas.

Despite an “encouraging” response from potential competitors in the new Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race, the U.S. National Aeronautic Association has decided to postpone the event to a date that has yet to be determined. Originally scheduled to take place from May 22 to 25, the cross-country air race will follow a 1,000-nm route from Eppley Airfield (KOMA) in Omaha, Nebraska, to Dare County Regional Airport (KMQI) near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. 

Ryse Aero Technologies is getting ready to begin deliveries of its Recon personal eVTOL this year. After flying the Recon at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month, the company opened its online reservation system and has already collected nearly 100 order requests for the $150,000 aircraft, Ryse CEO Mick Kowitz told FutureFlight. 

Major aerospace groups, including Honeywell, Collins, and Textron, are taking roles in research and development projects under the auspices of the European Union's Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, which is leading efforts to achieve net zero carbon in air transport by 2050. Work that is starting now is mainly focused on new hybrid-electric and hydrogen propulsion systems.

Skyway Technologies has partnered with Moonware to help prepare vertiports and other ground infrastructure for the impending arrival of next-generation aircraft such as eVTOL air taxis. The California-based companies plan to work together to digitally integrate Moonware's highly automated ground operations with Skyway's urban air traffic management systems.