FutureFlight

The new Unmanned Civil Aviation Experimental Zones will give China's autonomous aviation industry more opportunity to develop technology and early operations across 13 Chinese cities.

Through a partnership with Lufthansa Industry Solutions, Volocopter is building a software platform, VololQ, that will run on the Microsoft Azure cloud-based service to manage the entire ecosystem of its planned UAM network. The platform would connect the various facets of a UAM network, from the local authorities to the transportation providers, flight and ground operations, and customer services.

Around $10 million will be available through a new tranche of government-backed funding via the Aerospace Technology Institute starting in early 2021. This is part of a much wider set of funding opportunities to support moves towards zero-carbon-emissions aviation.

Uber Elevate head Eric Allison provided an update on the group's plans to launch ride-hailing services with eVTOL aircraft during Invest in Bavaria's Urban Air Mobility 2020 conference. He said the company does not expect disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic to delay its plans to begin operations during 2023.

Denmark-based Falck says it is setting up initial test operations with an unnamed "technical partner" to use manned eVTOL aircraft for emergency response work. The company has 25,000 employees in 30 countries.

Safety, noise, and economics are among some of the key challenges in developing an infrastructure for urban air mobility, according to a panel of experts speaking at a session on infrastructure at Invest in Bavaria's recent Urban Air Mobility 2020: Future of Aerial Transport & Logistics conference.

Jaunt Air Mobility, PS&S, and Price Systems are joining efforts to prepare the growing urban air mobility (UAM) industry for flight operations with customers on board. PS&S is an architectural firm and Price Systems is a cost-estimation technology company.

Tecnam says the short- to medium-range P-Volt aircraft will be ready to enter commercial service during the second half of the 2020s. It has not yet specified projected performance for an aircraft that will be based on its latest piston-powered P2012 model.

Roland Berger's urban air mobility experts Stephan Baur and Manfred Hader addressed an October 22 conference organized by the German state of Bavaria’s U.S. Offices for Economic Development. They say Covid has disrupted the emerging sector but has not derailed its future.

In a recent presentation to the Vertical Flight Society's Forum 76 conference, transportation consultant Denis Heckmann detailed environmental, engineering, and cost obstacles to the launch of eVTOL aircraft operations in some locations.