FutureFlight

With commercial eVTOL aircraft operations expected to start in 2024, there’s no time like the present for the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector’s pioneers to be focusing on recruitment and training of pilots. With the task of type certification understandably dominating the agendas of aircraft developers, training organizations are focusing on filling the skills gap and how flight crew will be regulated.

Companies preparing to launch eVTOL air taxi services say they will offer very affordable flights based on greatly reduced operating costs and economies of scale. Some aircraft developers have projected per-passenger-mile costs of between $1 and $3, but questions remain as to whether all aspects of their operating costs are sufficiently well known, with so many aspects such as ground infrastructure and regulation still not resolved.

Flapper, which provides flights across Latin America through a network of operators, is investing in plans to convert single turboprop aircraft with MagniX's eCaravan electric propulsion package. It will support the U.S. manufacturer in its efforts to get approval for the converted aircraft in the markets it serves.

Airflow aims to start flying its eSTOL proof-of-concept aircraft in 2022, using electric motors, controllers, and batteries provided by Pipistrel. The California start-up is exploring several propulsion options for its blown-wing design and is continuing to work with U.S.-based VerdeGo Aero on a hybrid-electric powertrain for a pair of new aircraft that would carry between four and nine passengers up to around 500 miles.

Universal Avionics will install its ClearVision enhanced flight vision system and the Aperture advanced video management device as part of an extensive package of sensors for Urban Aeronautics' CityHawk eVTOL vehicle. The Elbit Systems subsidiary will fuse data from sensors and use augmented reality technology to support situational awareness and decision-making by pilots.

Archer will use findings from flight testing of the two-seat Maker technology demonstrator to complete the preliminary design of the four-passenger eVTOL aircraft it intends to use for commercial operations beginning in 2024. In recent months, it has swelled the ranks of its engineering team, hiring people with experience in areas such as propulsion and flight controls from the aviation and automotive sectors.

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.