FutureFlight

California-based urban air mobility startup Archer Aviation this week announced its first commercial air taxi route. Using its four-seat Midnight eVTOL air taxi, Archer plans to transport passengers between Newark Liberty Airport’s United Airlines hub and a helipad in New York City. 

While most vehicle manufacturers working in the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector are focused on building eVTOL air taxis and other electric or hybrid aircraft, a few companies are pressing ahead with plans for literal flying cars—vehicles that can both fly in the air and be driven on roads. 

Switzerland's Jekta believes that by the end of the 2020s it could be delivering an all-electric 19-passenger seaplane called the PHA-ZE 100 that would be able to operate in wave conditions of up to four feet. The company is seeking financial backers to step up work on a prototype for an aircraft that may eventually be powered with a hydrogen propulsion system instead of battery packs.

Hydrogen-electric propulsion system developer ZeroAvia is teaming up with AGS Airports to bring zero-emissions flight options to Scotland. The two companies will work together to explore the hydrogen fuel infrastructure, regulatory requirements, and other resources that will be necessary to support hydrogen-powered aviation at Aberdeen International Airport (ABZ) and Glasgow International Airport (GLA).

Spright, which is the uncrewed aircraft division of emergency medical service helicopter operator Air Methods, will support Dufour's efforts to bring the Aero2 drone to market in 2025 and will also provide maintenance and training for other operators in North America. Dufour is ready to start building the first pre-production prototype of the tiltwing design and is also working on an eight-seat eVTOL aircraft called the Aero3.

Merlin Labs has selected the PU-3000 multicore avionics computer, built by Canada's CMC Electronics, to power its autonomous flight systems.

Monte aims to be the world's first carbon-neutral aircraft finance and leasing group by 2027. The London-based group has signed a letter of intent for 40 of the hydrogen propulsion conversion kits that Cranfield Aerospace Solutions is developing for the Britten-Norman Islander commuter aircraft. Monte has previously made agreements with electric aviation companies Ampaire and ZeroAvia.

The continental scale and geographical characteristics that make Australia different from other countries aspiring to be hotbeds of new electric aircraft are prompting local start-ups like AMSL Aero to take a fresh approach to jump-start the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector.

Italian manufacturing group TESI will build the first prototype for VoltAero's Cassio 330 prototype, which is expected to make its initial flight in 2023. The Cassio family of hybrid-electric aircraft will have a range of around 800 miles and carry up to 10 passengers.

Saudi Arabian regional development project Neom and Hong Kong’s Gly Capital Management have joined Volocopter’s investor base with $182 million in Series E funding.