FutureFlight

The 2022 Elevate Summit in Brooklyn will bring together advanced air mobility business leaders, decision-makers and stakeholders to discuss how to get eVTOL air taxi services kick-started. Joby is now hosting the event, having acquired the Elevate aerial ridesharing app from Uber, which previously organized the gatherings.

Safran makes turbofan and turboshaft engines for established fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, but now the France-based company is betting big on the propulsion needs of new electric aircraft. Its growing list of partners in the advanced air mobility sector includes Aura Aero, VoltAero, and Bye Aerospace.

BAE Systems will supply energy management equipment and expertise to GE Aviation to support NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project. Under the contract, BAE Systems will design, test, and supply energy management components for electric aircraft in the megawatt power class. The NASA project calls for the execution of ground and flight-test demonstrations over the next five years.

Europe's air safety regulator, EASA, has said it will concurrently validate the anticipated UK Civil Aviation Authority type certificate for Vertical's VX4 eVTOL model. The company expects to receive its Design Organization Approval later this year and also start flight testing a full-scale prototype.

In a move that appears to have been instigated by Archer's board of directors, the eVTOL aircraft pioneer's co-founder, Brett Adcock, is stepping down as co-CEO, leaving Adam Goldstein in overall command of the start-up. The company says it will be prepared to start commercial air taxi services in 2024 but will not have a production-conforming version of its four-passenger vehicle ready to fly until 2023.

Beta Technologies has raised $375 million in a round of private financing led by TPG Rise Climate, the dedicated climate investing strategy of TPG’s global impact investing platform TPG Rise, and Fidelity Management & Research Company. The Vermont-based electric aerospace company plans to use the funds to support the advancement of its integrated electric aviation system, including its zero emissions aircraft, electric propulsion systems, and its nationwide multimodal charging infrastructure.

France-based Thales will help to develop avionics for the Eve aircraft, as well as flight controls, electrical systems, and capability in navigation, communications, and connectivity. Since January 2022, Eve and Thales have been working on a series of studies to assess the technical and economic feasibility of an all-electric aircraft, and this process will continue for the rest of 2022.

Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico County Airport has established an Autonomous Innovation Center and is looking to attract companies developing and operating uncrewed air vehicles. The airport's management says that its ability to designate local airspace for specific use by UAVs gives it a distinct advantage that could result in current piloted aircraft being replaced by autonomous operations.

H2Fly set an altitude record for a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft by taking the HY4 demonstrator to 7,230 feet, a day after a 77-mile journey between Stuttgart and Friedrichshafen on April 12 marked the first time anyone piloted such an aircraft between two major airports.

Odys Aviation will relocate from Burbank to Long Beach, California, as it accelerates development of its hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft project with $18 million in total funding. The company said its new proximity to other entities within the aerospace industry will help cement its position as a major player among the local community of aerospace startups.