Story ID: 311
Advanced Air Mobility Edges Toward Commercial Launch
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: eVTOL vehicles may yet replace helicopters in some use cases
Word Count: 1200
Seasoned observers of the approach path to bringing eVTOL aircraft into service can be forgiven for having to suppress yawns. Self-proclaimed frontrunners in this crowded field—mainly start-ups hungry for fresh capital—have long teased investors with the prospect of commercial returns being just around the corner, only to then quietly concede that the certification process and other groundwork for the advanced air mobility (AAM) ecosystem is taking longer than they had hoped.
In China, two eVTOL models are already certified and flying restricted missions. Meanwhile, U.S. manufacturers such as Joby and Archer are forging partnerships in the UAE with a view to launching some early trial operations there ahead of FAA certification. How that will work remains unclear, but that hasn’t quieted the cheerleading.
Closer to home, multiple U.S. states, teamed with private sector partners, are bidding to launch early use cases through the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (EIPP) unveiled in June as part of the Unleashing American Drone Dominance executive order. The states seeking to embrace the new mode of transportation include Florida, California, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, New York, Nevada, Utah, and Ohio.
According to SMG Consulting, which focuses intently on the AAM sector, between five and seven EIPP flight-test programs could get underway this year. According to company founder Sergio Cecutta, these are expected to focus mainly on cargo or emergency medical operations and might, in some cases, include revenue-earning flights. In his view, the initiative is significant in giving aircraft manufacturers the chance to test real-world operating environments before certification.
However, SMG has ruled out any powered-lift eVTOL passenger-carrying aircraft completing FAA type certification in 2026—as has been widely anticipated, at least by the AAM start-ups concerned. Cecutta told AIN that, based on the number of flight hours required in certification-conforming aircraft with type inspection authorization (TIA), it will take at least another 18 months before the FAA pilots conduct the flights needed to conclude the approval process.
As part of its New Year’s predictions, SMG envisioned that both Joby and Beta Technologies (with its Alia CX300 model) will begin TIA “for credit” flights in 2026. In China, the company expects Aerofugia, AutoFlight, and Volant to achieve the same milestone.
In a bid to diversify potential income streams, SMG said that all Western eVTOL developers will make defense “their go-to launch application.” So, where does this leave investors waiting for a return on their backing for programs?
Having a Baby in Three Months
“It’s the fault of the OEMs that they have given unrealistic expectations by saying that we will have a baby in three months,” Cecutta commented. “Now some companies are moving more quickly, but the expectations raised in the market [that revenue flights would start in 2026] were unrealistic.”
In the Wright brothers’ spiritual home, JobsOhio is pressing hard for the Buckeye State to be a major AAM incubator. Joby and Beta are both putting down routes there with manufacturing and operational infrastructure, and the state has also attracted defense start-ups such as Anduril. Additionally, Ohio is home to established aerospace players such as Hartzell Propeller, which has ambitions to support new aircraft, and engine maker GE Aviation.
The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is another key part of Ohio’s aerospace and defense setup. As home to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, this has played a big part in Pentagon-backed research and development projects that have helped to sustain multiple AAM companies as they strive to bring new aircraft into commercial service. Among the technologies that are the focus for work at the site are new propulsion systems, autonomous controls, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
With established helicopter manufacturers, including Airbus and Bell Textron, having shelved eVTOL development programs for now, it is the start-ups that are claiming most of the attention. However, Boeing retains skin in the game through its subsidiary Wisk Aero, which is working on a fully autonomous eVTOL air-taxi model.
Eve Displays eVTOL Mockup
This week at Verticon, Eve Air Mobility is displaying a full-scale mock-up of its Eve-100 four-passenger eVTOL. In December, the Embraer spinoff achieved first flight with an engineering prototype at its test facility in Gavião Peixoto in Brazil’s São Paulo state.
Test flights will continue throughout 2026, with Eve gradually expanding the flight envelope to full wingborne operations. By year-end, the company aims to build six fully-conforming prototypes as it works toward its target of achieving initial certification with Brazil’s ANAC agency in 2027.
According to Eve, it now holds letters of intent for 2,800 aircraft from multiple operators around the world. These include Brazil’s Revo—part of Omni Helicopters International—which signed a contract for 50 eVTOLs in June and is working on plans to launch an air-taxi network in São Paulo.
Last year, Portugal-based Omni launched proof-of-concept flight trials with helicopters replicating the role of eVTOLs. Eve has previously conducted its own air-taxi simulation exercises with partners Blade, Flexjet, and Helisul in Rio de Janeiro, Chicago, and London.
Bristow is another leading rotorcraft operator eager to diversify in the AAM space, both with eVTOLs and STOL airplanes. In January, the company placed deposits for an initial five Electra Aero EL9 hybrid-electric aircraft, which are intended to operate from real estate no larger than a football field.
Apparently hedging its bets as to which of the new aircraft will make it to market, Bristow has provisional sales commitments with several other manufacturers. These include Beta, with which it has conducted flight trials, as well as Vertical Aerospace and Eve.
Technology Innovators
Several other Verticon exhibitors are breaking into the AAM sector with offers of new technology they say will support its long-term viability. For example, Alpha Metalcraft Group is proposing a novel electroplating process for making the guards that need to be installed on rotor blades. It claims the direct-plating approach would significantly reduce production costs for large-scale eVTOL manufacturing by eliminating the need for expensive mandrels.
In November, VerdeGo Aero began low-rate production of its VH-4T-RD hybrid-electric propulsion system, saying that in 2026 it will deliver examples of the new powertrain to several undisclosed customers for pre-certification ground and flight testing. The unit is a precursor to the company’s VH-4T-415 production powerplant, which is expected to deliver 400 kilowatts (536 hp) suitable for both hybrid VTOLs, as well as airplanes and drones.
Almost 12 months ago, rotorcraft and drones group Piasecki Aircraft acquired Kaman Air Vehicles, which is developing the Kargo UAV. The company aims to have a production-ready vehicle built by the end of 2026 and is targeting a payload of 1,400 pounds, range of 1,100 nm, and speed of up to 100 knots.
In recent years, Avidyne has been working on its new Quantum open avionics platform for a variety of AAM applications. The company’s latest Helios flight management system for helicopters uses satellite-based augmentation to support RNP and RNAV capability, including localizer performance based on vertical and lateral navigation, as well as vertical approach modes.