FutureFlight

Airbus said that data gathered from almost three years of operations with its Voom helicopter charter services will be useful in its wider plans to develop urban air mobility services. The service offered per-seat, on-demand charter flights in aircraft operated by a network of companies in Brazil, Mexico, and California.

Kitty Hawk is making software and procedural changes after an NTSB accident report found that its flight test team failed to terminate battery charging script before takeoff. This caused flight controls to degrade, resulting in a heavy landing that damaged the prototype of its Heaviside eVTOL aircraft.

China's EHang is the first publicly listed company among the eVTOL startups and it has achieved early revenue growth with early deliveries of uncertified aircraft. That said, it still has a way to go to achieve profitability and is facing difficulties resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Lilium's success in completing its latest $240 million funding round at a time when the wider aviation industry is seeing equity values severely diminished in response to concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic might suggest that the longer-term eVTOL sector is viewed differently by investors.

Urban Aeronautics, which is developing the hydrogen-powered CityHawk VTOL, is looking to advance plans to get this aircraft available for urban air mobility through a partnership with rideshare air taxi booking service Ascent.

EHang has reached an agreement to start flight trials and other urban air mobility development work in both Spain and Norway. However, severe disruption to both travel and business activity in both European countries seems likely to delay the implementation of these plans.

Skyryse's FlightOS automation system has been designed to support pilots in managing all aspects of flight control. The company says it will improve safety in challenging operating conditions but also enhance operational flexibility for eVTOL aircraft needing to fly in IFR conditions.

Starting in southern California, Personal Airline Exchange is using a mix of big data and a gradual approach to introducing new aircraft technology in a bid to transform the cost structure for on-demand, flight-sharing services. Operations could start in 2021, with electric aircraft to follow in 2022.

At least $170 million has already been allocated by the U.S. government for work to advance possible applications for eVTOL aircraft as autonomously-operated cargo carrying platforms. The U.S. Marine Corps is taking the lead in work that could result in collaborative programs with commercial eVTOL developers.

France-based VoltAero is led by former Airbus chief technology officer Jean Botti, who formerly ran the European group's E-Fan electric aircraft program. The Cassio I is intended to seat between four and nine passengers and be able to fly for up to three-and-a-half hours on hybrid power.