FutureFlight

Volocopter's 2X eVTOL aircraft made a five-minute flight at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, the South Korean capital, as part of the "Open the Urban Sky" event organized by the country's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. South Korea aims to launch urban air mobility services in 2025.

Norway's government intends to require domestic airline flights to be all-electric by 2040, and given the country's dispersed population centers and challenging geography, it needs alternatives to road and rail connections. Wideroe, which is already planning to operate Tecnam's P-Volt nine-seat, all-electric commuter, is now showing an interest in Embraer's plans for eVTOL air services.

Embraer's Energia family of aircraft would use a mix of hybrid, hydrogen, dual-fuel gas turbine, and electric propulsion systems, with four models offering a range of between 230 and 575 miles and passenger capacity of between 9 and 50. The initial E9-HE hybrid-electric nine-seater could be in service around 2030, but full program launches are subject to market consultation.

Two years after first announcing plans to develop an eVTOL aircraft, Hyundai Motor Group this week announced the rebranding of its urban air mobility division under the name Supernal. The South Korean automaker confirmed its intention to bring the five-seat SA-1 vehicle into commercial service from 2028, adding that it expects to start the FAA's type certification process in 2024.

Asset manager Rose Cay says it will acquire up to 250 aircraft for conversion to ZeroAvia's hydrogen-electric powertrain, while ASL Aviation says it will operate up to 10 of its ATR72 twin turboprop freighters powered by ZeroAvia's ZA2000 hydrogen propulsion system beginning in 2026. The Irish carrier is giving ZeroAvia one of its retired aircraft to serve as a development platform for the two- to five-MW powertrain.

Manta Aircraft is now aiming to complete type certification of the two-seat ANN2 vehicle in 2025 and aims to be ready to start flight testing a full-scale prototype in the summer of 2022. Newly appointed partners will contribute to the development of the propulsion system, software for human-machine interfaces, and flight plan management, as well as design development and testing, plus anti-vibration and acoustic shielding systems.

Israel-based Flapz has operations in Chile and Colombia, where its new partner Varon Vehicles is based. The company is seeking to add eVTOL aircraft to an online charter offering that already includes private jets and helicopters and is working with Varon to deliver on a concept that promises easy travel connections of no more than 15 minutes across any of Latin America's congested cities.

The Advanced Air Mobility Leadership Act requires the U.S. government to establish an interagency working group to collaborate on the "safety, infrastructure, physical security, cybersecurity, and federal investment necessary to bolster the AAM ecosystem.” Similar legislation is being considered by the U.S. Senate.

A proposed process would combine Reaction Engines’ heat exchangers developed for its Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine with ammonia cracking catalyst systems developed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. The partners are aiming to support airliners flying up to around 1,250 miles with the new fuel to be stored in specially adapted wings.

The Butterfly eVTOL uses the Optimum Speed Propulsion rotor technology developed by Karem Aircraft, from which Overair was established. With support from South Korea's Hanwha Systems, the company has expanded its headquarters in Santa Ana, California, as it prepares the aircraft for service entry by 2026.