FutureFlight

Having shelved plans to bring its SpaceJet M90 regional airliner to market, Mitsubishi is focused on offering a zero-carbon version of regional airliners, like the former CRJ twinjet. ZeroAvia's plans to certify its hydrogen fuel cell powertrains for commercial airlines also received backing this week from Alaska Air.

Virgin Atlantic Airways, one of the launch customers for Vertical Aerospace's VA-X4 eVTOL aircraft, has expressed an interest in operating flights in and out of Heathrow Airport as part of a planned new all-electric, short-haul network of domestic flights in the UK. The airport is partnering with the manufacturer to understand how to integrate the new aircraft.

According to Helipass, sightseeing flights are likely to be among the first main use cases for new eVTOL aircraft, as well as city to airport transfer services. The company is urging all prospective eVTOL manufacturers to make their aircraft available to as many operators and other partners as possible in a bid ot stimulate rapid growth.

In September, Airbus became the latest major aircraft manufacturer, after Embraer, Boeing, and Bell, to announce plans to bring an eVTOL aircraft to market. The CityAirbus NextGen is a fixed-wing, four-passenger design promising range of up to around 50 miles that is expected to enter commercial service in 2025. Despite the battering its airliner business has taken from Covid, Airbus is ready to make big investments in the electric aircraft as part of its wider strategy to decarbonize air transport.

Connectivity technology group Skyward is improving the support its platform provides for drone operators using the FAA's low-altitude authorization and notification capability while investing in longer-term advances in the use of 5G networks. Beyond existing drone services, the improved connectivity will support autonomous operations for eVTOLs and other new air vehicles.

The Japanese carrier has agreed to either lease or purchase up to 100 of Vertical Aerospace's VA-X4 four-passenger eVTOL aircraft from leasing group Avolon, which has provisionally agreed to include up to 500 of the vehicle in its portfolio. Japan's declared plans to support the launch of urban air mobility services include a high-profile public launch around the Osaka Kansai Expo in 2025, and Avolon, Vertical, and rival eVTOL developer Volocopter are all now involved as partners.

Leasing group Amedeo believes that airlines will see the Electric Regional Aircraft as an opportunity to open scheduled regional passenger and cargo services to smaller airports that can't support larger equipment. It has signed a letter of intent with Aura Aero to take delivery of 200 of the hybrid-electric model starting in 2026.

UP.Partners has closed its venture capital fund with $230 million raised to invest in start-ups developing future methods of mobility. Among the companies supported by the group are early-stage start-ups with no revenues and late-stage product-focused companies that are growing revenues rapidly. Its investments include eVTOL aircraft developer Beta Technologies.

Austrian company Schwarzmuller has developed a trailer that it calls a Mobile Vertipad to allow Volocopter's VoloDrone to operate almost anywhere without the need for special ground infrastructure. The autonomous eVTOL can carry freight loads of up to 440 pounds on trips of up to around 25 miles. It was publicly demonstrated for the first time this week in an operation conducted with Volocopter logistics partner and investor DB Schenker.

Israel-based Air this week unveiled the design for its fixed-wing, two-seat Air One eVTOL, which it aims to bring to market in 2024. The company expects to begin unmanned flight trials with a full-scale prototype early in 2022, with piloted flights set to commence next June. It has started to take preorders for the vehicle, with a base price yet to be published.