FutureFlight

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published initial findings from a study about the effects on eVTOL aircraft operations of downwash, which is the column of downward-accelerated air generated by rotors or other propulsors. The agency noted that it intends for its CAP2576 report to prompt discussions with aircraft manufacturers and operators and that the study does not necessarily constitute the basis for any future legislation.

Even in a week when the UK government is backtracking on its earlier commitments to take a leadership role in net zero decarbonization efforts, the country is viewed as a potential early adopter of electric aviation. It is in this spirit that advanced air mobility consultant EA Maven recently released a study looking at how public transportation links between communities could be transformed by new aircraft, including eVTOL vehicles and subregional airplanes.

Developers of new eVTOL aircraft insist their multirotor designs will be safer than any helicopter or airplane flying today, thanks to their highly redundant distributed electric propulsion systems. However, the lithium-ion battery technology that will power most of these aircraft has earned a bad reputation in recent years, with media outlets reporting instances of battery fires in electric cars, bikes, and scooters, as well as laptops and smartphones. 

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published new proposed regulations governing the operation of vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft, including drones and air taxis, in Europe’s cities.

Search the Securities and Exchange Commission filings for any of the eVTOL aircraft developers that have chased capital injections via a Wall Street listing and you’ll find lengthy assessments of the multitudinous risks facing those racing toward the loudly self-promoting advanced air mobility (AAM) sector. But how many people read all the caveat-laden, backside-covering small print in the hope of getting an objective assessment of risk variables?

The comment period for the FAA’s proposed Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for Integration of Powered Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations closed on August 14, with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) submitting comments on behalf of multiple member companies looking to introduce new advanced air mobility (AAM) services. The proposed rules are intended to form a foundation for the introduction of eVTOL aircraft in the U.S. in 2025.

The market for electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft could be worth around $23.4 billion in 2035, one decade after the first eVTOL air taxis are slated to enter service, according to a market research report published on July 25 by analysts at Markets and Markets.

The FAA has released the first version of its advanced air mobility (AAM) implementation plan, a document that outlines all the steps that the U.S. air safety regulator and other stakeholders will need to take to enable AAM operations in the U.S. by 2028. The living document, which the FAA intends to periodically update, was published online on July 18. 

Joby Aviation has released an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report for 2022. The publication is a first for the California-based company and appears to be the first of its kind by an eVTOL aircraft developer.

In recent years, much of the mainstream buzz surrounding advanced air mobility (AAM) has focused on small, futuristic aircraft concepts like electric air taxis and so-called “flying cars” that affluent urbanites might use to bypass traffic jams in crowded cities. While the thought of whizzing around cities like characters in The Jetsons may captivate the public’s imagination, there’s another revolution brewing in the aviation industry that is far more likely to affect the lives of ordinary people: a resurgence of regional air mobility.