FutureFlight

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has approved eVTOL aircraft developer EHang to conduct commercial logistics flights using its 216 Autonomous Aerial Vehicle on behalf of a hotel operator at Taizhou in southern China. EHang claims this is the world’s first commercial pilot operation to be approved by a national aviation authority and the permission has been granted even though the all-electric EHang 216 has not yet completed type certification.

EASA has published proposed methods for certifying eVTOL aircraft in a further step towards establishing a framework for type certification. The "Proposed Means of Compliance with Special Condition VTOL" document was issued on May 25 and industry stakeholders have until July 24 to comment.

Germany-based Lilium is preparing to resume flight testing with a second demonstrator example of its all-electric Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft once restrictions imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic are eased. A small contingent of the company’s engineering team is currently able to work on the aircraft at its headquarters near Munich and a spokesman told AIN that it hopes changes to social distancing rules will permit flight tests to restart in “a few months.”

Ampaire, a developer of hybrid electric aircraft propulsion, has teamed with Ikhana Aircraft Services to explore modifying Twin Otter airframes to fly with that technology. California-based Ikhana is known for engineering modifications for Twin Otters, including having received an FAA supplemental type certificate for its DHC-6-300HG with a maximum gross weight increase to 14,000 pounds, from 12,500 pounds.

U.S. startup Archer on May 21 announced plans to bring an eVTOL aircraft to market. Backers of the Palo Alto, California-based company include Walmart eCommerce CEO Marc Lore, as well as cofounders Brett Adcock and Adam Goldstein, who recently sold recruitment platform Vettery to the Adecco Group for $100 million.

The European aviation community is asking regulators to put a pause on its current proposal surrounding the integration of drones into airspace and to pursue a more comprehensive consultation on the issue that provides for greater industry input and clarity.

GKN Aerospace has agreed to supply the wings, empennage, and electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) for the Alice regional electric aircraft recently launched by Eviation, the companies announced Monday. The all-composite electric aircraft, designed to fly up to distances of 650 miles, will use distributed propulsion, high-energy-density batteries, so-called mission-driven energy management, and a new airframe tailored to such technological advances for regional flight operators.

Electric aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel is advancing plans for a pair of new cargo aircraft and a hydrogen-powered 20-seat regional airliner. In its newsletter published on May 13, the Slovenian company indicated it intends to focus on these new developments more urgently than on its plans for the Pipistrel 801 eVTOL, which has been shortlisted by rideshare group Uber for its planned Uber Air urban air mobility product.

Both Quantum Air and OSM Aviation are due to operate Bye Aerospace's new eFlyer electric fixed-wing aircraft, with deliveries due to begin in late 2021. The companies say it will take 12 to 20 months to train new pilots.

EHang announced plans for sightseeing flights within weeks of providing its autonomous eVTOL aircraft to support emergency operations in response to flooding and the Covid-19 outbreak in China. The company has also published its first full-year results since going public with a Nasdaq IPO in December 2019.