FutureFlight

Autonomous flight technology developer Reliable Robotics has partnered with the satellite communications provider Inmarsat to help integrate remotely piloted aircraft into the U.S. National Airspace System with a solution specifically designed for uncrewed aircraft systems. 

Vertical Aerospace, a UK-based start-up developing the VX4 eVTOL aircraft, has opened a facility in Bristol dedicated to designing, testing, and manufacturing batteries for electric aircraft, the company announced today. The Vertical Energy Centre (VEC) is the UK’s most advanced aerospace battery facility, says the company.

Air transport information technology specialist SITA has chosen Volocopter as its preferred digital and IT systems partner for vertiports, while SITA becomes the latest investor to join Volocopter’s Series E funding round.

Electric aviation company Beta Technologies, which has been developing an eVTOL aircraft since 2017, plans to certify a conventional airplane version of its all-electric model. Called the CX300, the fixed-wing aircraft will look similar to the company’s six-seat Alia-250 eVTOL aircraft, but it will take off and land like a regular airplane.

Hydrogen-electric aircraft propulsion system developer ZeroAvia says it has achieved record-breaking performance while testing the high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HTPEM) systems in its hydrogen fuel cells. 

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be in charge of investigating all accidents and certain incidents that occur during eVTOL flights, Tim LeBaron, director of the NTSB’s Office of Aviation Safety, said March 7 during a panel discussion on aviation policy at the Heli-Expo show in Atlanta. LeBaron stressed that eVTOL aircraft should have cameras and data recorders, even if regulators do not require them.

Evia Aero seeks to operate a hydrogen-powered Islander aircraft and/or Eviation's all-electric Alice model to bring regional air service to underserved communities across northern Europe. But first, the German company wants to get all the supporting infrastructure in place.

The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation is working with Airbus to devise ways to deploy the manufacturer’s in-development CityAirbus NextGen aircraft for emergency medical flights. The partnership between the not-for-profit emergency medical service provider and the aircraft manufacturer was announced on March 8 during the Heli-Expo show in Atlanta.

Senior leaders from eVTOL developers Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, and Jaunt Air Mobility were part of a discussion of prospects for the advanced air mobility sector during the Helicopter Association International's Heli-Expo show. Also contributing to the panel were prospective operators Bristow and Blade Air Mobility.

Global helicopter services operator PHI Aviation has entered into a long-term agreement with Kaman Corporation to use Kaman’s Kargo UAV for commercial operations, the companies announced Tuesday at Heli-Expo in Atlanta. As part of the new partnership, PHI has agreed to purchase 50 Kargo UAVs for its commercial operations.