FutureFlight

Almost 150 speakers and 37 exhibiting companies are set to participate in the Vertical Flight Society's Transformative Vertical Flight event, which will also include the 11th annual Electric VTOL Symposium. Speakers will include leaders from major agencies such as the FAA, EASA, and NASA, as well as the U.S. Army and Air Force. Two eVTOL aircraft are expected to be on display in Santa Clara, California, among 37 exhibiting companies.

Pivotal, the ultralight eVTOL developer formerly known as Opener, has officially begun selling its flagship Helix aircraft, a single-seat, all-electric vehicle that requires no pilot’s license to operate. Recreational flyers in the U.S. can now purchase the Helix online at a starting price of $190,000, and Pivotal plans to begin shipments on June 10. 

Atlantic Aviation is making plans for eVTOL aircraft operations at multiple locations in its U.S. network of FBOs, with partnership agreements announced this week with rival manufacturers Joby and Archer. The partnerships will see electric recharging equipment provided by both companies installed at Atlantic sites, as well as joint work to explore the next steps in preparing for the launch of eVTOL air taxi services in 2025.

Logistics group Aramex Emirates is evaluating plans to deploy a pair of hybrid-electric aircraft being developed by Odys Aviation for cargo flights in the UAE and Oman. A letter of intent signed on January 9 could pave the way for possible sales of the U.S. company’s Laila uncrewed air vehicle and the larger VTOL aircraft that Odys is now calling the Alta.

Japanese eVTOL aircraft developer SkyDrive is looking to make early inroads into India’s advanced air mobility (AAM) market through new public and private-sector partnerships. During the Gujarat Global Summit 2024 event that closed on January 13, the company signed collaboration agreements with the engineering and technology group Cyient and the government of the Indian state of Gujarat.

Swiss start-up Sirius Aviation AG has revealed the design for its Sirius Jet, which it describes as a hydrogen-electric 'business jet' with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities. The company intends to have the model certified and in service by 2028, and will offer two variants of the aircraft, one tailored for private use and the other for commercial air taxi services. 

A new partnership with Fraport marks the next stage in Lilium's plans to prepare the ground infrastructure needed to integrate its Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft into regional air transportation networks. The companies have said they will conduct exploratory studies but have yet to confirm whether they will jointly develop and run facilities such as vertiports.

Suzuki releases more funding in equity deal with eVTOL developer SkyDrive, Germany's Fraports backs Lilium's plans for vertiports, ZeroAvia teams with ScottishPower to provide hydrogen fuel at UK airports, and GKN says additive manufacturing will cut component waste by 80 percent.

Supernal has revealed its first full-scale mockup of the eVTOL aircraft it aims to bring to market in 2028. It is showcasing the four-passenger S-A2 aircraft this week at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, where the company has constructed a vertiport exhibition to give show attendees a taste of the urban air mobility experience. 

Atlantic Aviation, which operates a chain of 100 FBOs at airports across the U.S., has become the latest business aviation support provider to install electric charging stations. The company has partnered with eVTOL aircraft developer Beta Technologies to install its "charge cube" equipment in at least four locations to support air taxi services and other electric aviation requirements.