FutureFlight

EASA has published what it says are the world’s first proposed noise certification standards for eVTOL aircraft. The proposals, known as the Environmental Protection Technical Specifications (EPTS), are applicable to eVTOL vehicles powered by multiple vertical, non-tilting, evenly distributed rotors.

New hydrogen- and electric-powered aircraft expected to enter service could require as much as 600 to 1,700 terawatt-hours of energy by 2050, which the World Economic Forum (WEF) says is equivalent to the energy generated by up to 25 of the world’s largest wind farms today—or a solar farm large enough to cover half of Belgium. In a new white paper, the organization spells out what airlines and airports will need to do to ensure that the new means of net-zero carbon propulsion are viable.

Is advanced air mobility a generational opportunity for the U.S. to reboot its leadership in the global aviation industry or a political football? In Washington, D.C., it would seem, it can be both, with the U.S. House aviation subcommittee this week turning its attention to new market entrants, such as drones and eVTOL aircraft, as it considers its position on the pending FAA reauthorization bill.

Lilium’s latest shareholder letter provides a summary of a busy 2022 for the eVTOL aircraft developer as it steps up efforts to complete type certification of its six-passenger Lilium Jet by the end of 2025.

The UK's ADS Group, a trade organization for the aerospace, defense, security, and space industry, has published a document urging government and the "aerospace ecosystem" to focus on priorities it says are needed to unlock potential for advanced air mobility.

Advanced air mobility (AAM) has the potential to revolutionize how people get around, with eVTOL air taxis promising to fly passengers over traffic jams in urban settings and other next-generation aircraft enabling regional flights in areas that are underserved by aviation today. With new electric, hydrogen-powered, and hybrid-electric propulsion systems, AAM aircraft can drastically reduce the environmental impact of aviation while simultaneously reducing operating costs, making flights more affordable.

No one says that weaning air transport off its dependence on fossil fuels will be easy. For those with any doubt about the scale of the challenge, however, a new report from the UK’s Royal Society provides sober reading material, concluding that no single path to achieving net zero carbon exists and that the avenues now being explored are all fraught with technological and practical difficulties.

The UK’s Future Aviation Industry Working Group (FWIAG) recently published a three-to-five-year manifesto regarding a strategic airspace integration plan it says could unlock the potential for more efficient air transportation. The "Let’s Get Flying: Our Plan For Action" document addresses how new aircraft, including eVTOL vehicles, could benefit from greater operational flexibility while not reducing access to existing airspace users.

California-based autonomous eVTOL air taxi developer Wisk Aero and the South East Queensland Council of Mayors (COMSEQ) have published a white paper describing the opportunities and benefits that advanced air mobility (AAM) can bring to the Australian region.

Venture capital group Up Partners has released the first in what will be a series of annual reports on trends in transportation, from advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft to road transport and hypersonic and space travel. The Moving World Report is designed to inform investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and students, according to Up.Partners co-founder and managing partner Cyrus Sigari.