EASA Proposes New Rules for eVTOL Air Taxi Operations in European Cities
EASA this week published proposed rules governing the operation of new eVTOL air taxi services in cities. The proposed regulatory framework, which the European aviation safety agency says is the first of its kind in the world, is now open for public consultation through Sept. 30, 2022.
Vertical Flight Society Confronts FAA's Unwelcome U-turn on eVTOL Type Certification
The FAA provoked rapidly rising blood-pressure levels among eVTOL aircraft developers with its awkwardly communicated change in approach to certifying the new vehicles. The apparent policy reversal hinged on a determination that winged eVTOL designs meeting the U.S. air safety regulator’s definition of “powered lift” could not be certified or operate as conventional “airplanes.”
New Index Identifies Likely Early Leaders in Race To Provide Advanced Air Mobility Ground Infrastructure
A whispered ghostly voice saying “if you build it they will come” was all it took to persuade Kevin Costner’s lead character in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams to make a baseball park appear in an Iowa cornfield. This seems to be the message that multiple advanced air mobility (AAM) pioneers are channeling in their quest to establish the vertiports and other infrastructure needed to get eVTOL air taxi operations up and running.
Deloitte Study Considers How Advanced Air Mobility Stacks Up as a Mass-transit Contender
Deloitte buys into the widespread high expectations for the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, but—as one might expect from a company grounded in accountancy—wants to crunch numbers with dollar signs attached to assess its potential. In its new study, AAM: Disrupting the Future of Mobility, the consulting group seeking to assess its prospects from a consumer point of view and considers how eVTOL aircraft will be able to compete with existing modes of transportation.
Tampa Airport Studies Innovative Future Mobility Options
An airport master plan update being drafted for Florida’s Tampa International Airport (KTPA) has brought to light a Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA) Innovative Transit Technologies Feasibility Study that explored urban air mobility options and other cutting-edge alternatives such as air gondolas and hyperloop.
Eve's Concept of Operations for Rio de Janeiro Offers Urban Air Mobility Blueprint
Eve Urban Air Mobility, along with partners working on its plans to develop an ecosystem for eVTOL aircraft flights, last week published a concept of operations (Conops) covering the vast and crowded city of Rio de Janeiro. For the offshoot venture from Brazilian aerospace group Embraer, the document gives the Eve-led team a chance to demonstrate how the new mode of transportation could work on home turf.
EHang Told It Must Comply with U.S. Accounting Rules for Public Companies
Less than a week after EHang’s filing of a 20F annual report statement for the 2021 financial year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has notified the Chinese eVTOL aircraft developer that it has been flagged for accounting procedures scrutiny under the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA). The notice, served by the federal regulator on May 4, effectively puts EHang on notice that it needs to use an accountancy firm that meets U.S.
UK Aerospace Industry Told To Speculate To Accumulate In Growing Green Aviation Market
The UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) this week threw down a new gauntlet to challenge the aerospace industry to seize what it characterized as a massive commercial opportunity to make progress toward aviation’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions. The government-backed group’s 2022 technology strategy, published on April 26 under the title Destination Zero, exhorts companies to seize the moment, be more ambitious, and accept greater risk in their technology portfolios.
Vertical Reports Business Momentum Building as VX4 eVTOL Prepares for Its First Flight
Vertical Aerospace has published its first annual report and shareholder letter since the eVTOL aircraft developer became a public company in December 2021 through a business combination with Broadstone Acquisition and the resulting New York Stock Exchange flotation.
Lufthansa Aviation Hub Report Claims the SPAC eVTOL Bubble Has Burst
A new report from the Lufthansa Aviation Hub argues that initial public offerings backed by special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have fallen out of favor recently, following a period early last year when they accounted for 90 percent of all money raised on public markets in the U.S. The German airline’s research arm spells out the reasons behind this claimed shift in fortunes and explains its significance to the advanced air mobility sector.