For Jaunt's eVTOL Design, Slow Rotor Compound Technology Is the Secret Sauce
To date, Jaunt Air Mobility has been pursuing its advanced air mobility ambitions in a more low-key manner than some of its eVTOL rivals. However, through a pending merger with the Airo Group and multiple partnerships with leading aviation companies, Jaunt says it is ready to fully exploit the potential of its slow rotor compound technology.
U.S. Senate Passes Bill To Ensure Government Support of Advanced Air Mobility
The newly passed U.S. Senate Act S.516 authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to establish an interagency working group composed of leaders from key government agencies to plan for and coordinate efforts for the advancement of America's advanced air mobility industry. It tasks the working group with reviewing and making recommendations for the federal role in the AAM sector, beyond the initial critical stage of aircraft certification and operations, with a focus on economic and workforce opportunities, potential physical and digital security risks, and mitigations, and infrastructure development.
Joby's Second eVTOL Prototype Restarts Flight Testing After Accident
Joby Aviation's internal safety review board this week lifted a temporary grounding of the company's second preproduction eVTOL aircraft, five weeks after the February 16 crash in which the first prototype was badly damaged. The company has not announced any resulting delay to its plans to achieve type certification in time to start commercial air taxi operations in 2024.
Air Traffic Management Group Terra Drone Boosted by $70 Million Funding Round
Japan-based Terra Drone has raised a total of $83 million and is making further investments in developing air traffic management technology that it says is needed to maximize opportunities to expand urban air mobility and drone services. The company has also set its sights on expansion in the U.S. market.
Japan's Kanematsu Group Leads $23 Million Series B Funding Round for Skyports
Skyports says the additional $23 million in funding will support its plans to build a network of vertiports to support new air taxi services using eVTOL aircraft in cities worldwide. The UK-based group also aims to increase its involvement in drone operating services, such as those supporting the medical and mail distribution sectors.
Joby Submits eVTOL Safety Certification Plan to FAA
Joby Aviation has submitted what it calls the first area-specific certification plan to the FAA that lays out the combination of design reports, analysis, and testing that it will employ to demonstrate compliance with FAA safety standards for one functional area of the aircraft. The requirements addressed in the cabin safety certification plan include crashworthiness, flammability, and protecting occupants in case of an emergency landing.
Car Maker Suzuki Backs SkyDrive's Plans To Bring Flying Car to Market
Japan's Suzuki Motor Corporation this week became the latest Asian carmaker to get involved in eVTOL aircraft development through its new alliance with SkyDrive. Through a new partnership, Suzuki is providing the start-up with multiple levels of technical and business support that will include making plans for production of a two-seat flying car expected to enter the market in 2025.
New Concept of Operations Report Paves the Way for UK Progress with Urban Air Mobility
The UK Air Mobility Consortium has delivered a concept of operations document that spells out how eVTOL flights could be integrated into the country's airspace. The study has been delivered to the country's Civil Aviation Authority, which intends to use it as the basis for enabling and regulating urban air mobility. It is based on modeling how flights could connect several new vertiports and both Heathrow and London City airports.
Paris eVTOL Flight Trials Aim To Make a Big, Quiet Impact on Air Mobility
Volocopter and multiple partners in the ReInvent Mobility project are working to prepare to launch eVTOL air taxi services in and around the French capital during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. A key aspect to this is minimizing the noise impact on residents, which means carefully refining aircraft systems but also careful planning of routes and how services will interact with ground infrastructure.
Air Greenland Plans to Acquire Vertical Aerospace VX4 eVTOL Aircraft From Leasing Group Avolon
Air Greenland has committed to buying or leasing from Avolon a fleet of Vertical Aerospace VX4 eVTOL aircraft under a partnership tasked with forming a working group to identify local infrastructure and certification requirements for the Arctic region. The companies have formed a working group to discuss infrastructure and certification requirements. These will likely include whether the all-electric lift-and-cruise aircraft will be certified to operate in known icing conditions.