FutureFlight

Some would say that all the best ideas get recycled periodically. Ride-sharing, planepooling, empty legs­–call these concepts what you will; in the context of air transportation they all hinge on the proverbial no-brainer notion of maximizing utilization of aircraft and their supporting assets, such as airports.

The select group of eVTOL aircraft developers that have so far touched down on Wall Street following a SPAC-merger-based flight path to equity flotations has brought with it some improved visibility regarding the financial realities of the advanced air mobility (AAM) gold rush. Starting last week, we’ve seen the first of the start-ups-gone-public—Archer, Joby, and Lilium—post quarterly financial results for the period ending on September 30, and, predictably, the bottom lines remain resolutely red with the prospect of returns on investment still some three years away.

Wright Electric’s ambitious plans to modernize the venerable BAe 146 regional jetliner with an electric propulsion system are to be advanced with the assistance of Honeywell Aerospace. This week, the start-up announced the opening of a Joint Technical Assessment Phase (JTAP) for the Wright Spirit program, which is expected to lead to a full launch of the program in October 2022.

Lilium, Archer, and Airbus are on a rising tide, according to SMG Consulting's latest assessment of the viability of new aircraft programs in the October 2021 release of its Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index. In the case of the two start-ups, the credibility uptick is based on increased funding resulting from their recent Wall Street flotations. For European aerospace behemoth Airbus, the change reflects its unveiling in September of the design for its CityAirbus NextGen four-passenger eVTOL.

Toronto has the potential to join the ranks of cities embracing advanced air mobility (AAM) services, according to a white paper published today by the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium. The report, prepared for the group by Nexa Advisors, envisages that the city will first see the deployment of eVTOL aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft systems (drones) for functions such as the transportation of patients and medical equipment.

As the UK prepares to host the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Vertical Aerospace has joined forces with Virgin Atlantic Airways, leasing group Avolon, London Heathrow Airport, vertiport developer Skyports and air traffic control service provider NATS in calling on the government to support the launch of electric-powered intercity flights by 2025.

The FAA has issued special conditions for airworthiness standards to be used to certify MagniX's electric propulsion units (EPUs) for commercial aircraft under its Part 33 rules. The publication of the special conditions followed close consultation with MagniX, which is the first electric propulsion system manufacturer to have a defined path to FAA certification. It expects to complete this process in 2023.

The U.S. has more than 5,000 public-use airports and yet many of them are not living up to their potential to be transportation hubs that could benefit the communities they are supposed to serve. This is a familiar proposition from pioneers in the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, and its white paper eVTOL aircraft developer Wisk Aero attempts to be more specific about how the nascent industry’s infrastructure needs can be met in a way that delivers valuable opportunities to the wider public.

Plenty of people find it hard to grasp the basics of hydrogen propulsion technology. Even when you do understand the subject, it can be hard to find a simple and clear way to explain it to others. So the Airbus Foundation is to be applauded for its new guide to Hydrogen in Future Aircraft, which has been produced with children in mind but also has value for many adults. Increasing public understanding of new aviation fuels is critical to the acceptance of the technology and, by extension, the new types of aircraft it will support.

The UK Urban Air Mobility Consortium is laying the groundwork for eVTOL aircraft operations to begin in the country. The group seems to fully acknowledge that it faces a public acceptance challenge given that British cities, including the capital London, have been more than somewhat resistant to the expansion of helicopter flights.