FutureFlight

Ribbit, a Toronto-based tech start-up developing autonomous flight control software for cargo airplanes, has won a $1.3 million contract from the Canadian government to conduct flight trials over northern Canada. 

Transport Canada, the nation’s transportation safety regulator, awarded Ribbit the contract via the Innovative Solutions Canada program, a government initiative that provides grants and procurement contracts to small businesses to facilitate the development and commercialization of new technologies. 

ARC Aero Systems now says it will offer both three- and nine-seat versions of its planned Linx compound rotorcraft. While the larger, hybrid-electric P9 version will have a fixed wing as well as a main rotor to support range of up to almost 600 miles, the new smaller P3 model will be all-electric and with just a main rotor for flights of up to almost 70 miles. The UK company aims to get the Linx P3 certified in 2026, followed by the P9 three years later.

A full-scale model of Heart Aerospace's 30-passenger regional airliner will be used for taxi and charging tests to be conducted at Malmö Airport in southern Sweden as part of the latest phase of the Scandinavian country's Elise electric aviation program that will run through April 2025. The development work has received new funding from Sweden's Vinnova innovation agency, and will also involve airlines SAS and Braathens, and battery developer Northvolt.

Self-evidently, the path to replacing fossil-fuel flights with net zero electric aviation has to start somewhere, and in Norway that somewhere could be the country’s 93^rd largest city Førde on the rugged country’s North Sea coast.

Joby Aviation says it has finished submitting all the certification plans for its eVTOL aircraft to the FAA, marking a significant milestone in its path to launching a commercial air taxi service in the U.S. in 2025. With the submission of all its certification plans, Joby is close to completing the third of five stages of the FAA type certification process.

Following a consultation with the industry and communities, Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority has issued guidelines for vertiports to be used by new eVTOL aircraft. The move has been welcomed by vertiport developer Skyportz, which recently unveiled plans for low-cost, modular vertiport units intended to accelerate the roll-out of infrastructure for advanced air mobility services.

EASA will likely issue a design organization approval before year-end to eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium, which has completed the fourth and final audit required by the process. The DOA clearance is a mandatory prerequisite to completing type certification with the European air safety regulator.

Maritime Energy Heli Air Services has agreed to purchase 10 of Jekta's 19-passenger PHA-ZE 100 amphibious aircraft as part of its plan to decarbonize regional air services to smaller communities in India. Under the agreement announced with the Swiss manufacturer, it will be the launch operator for the new all-electric aircraft in Asia and could buy another 40 units following initial deliveries in 2029.

Maeve Taps Siemens Software To Develop 44-Seat Electric Airplane

Aska expects to start untethered flight testing of its A5 four-seat eVTOL aircraft during July, having completed several short tethered hover flights in June. The California-based company now holds an FAA certificate of authorization and special airworthiness certification to test its first A5 prototype.