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Wisk Agrees to Operate Autonomous eVTOL Air Taxi Flights for Blade

Up to 30 of Wisk's new sixth generation eVTOL aircraft will join the Blade Urban Air Mobility network whenever the company earns FAA approval for autonomous passenger flights.

Blade Urban Air Mobility does not directly acquire the aircraft used to provide flights for its customers but instead convinces partner operators to make the investment. Now the U.S. group has arranged for eVTOL aircraft developer Wisk Aero to operate and maintain its equipment in what could prove to be the world's first fully autonomous air taxi services. However, the agreement is contingent on several factors, not the least of which is regulatory approval.

Investors Back Regent's Plans For All-electric Wing-in-ground-effect Seaglider

Regent Craft says it holds $465 million worth of orders from airlines and ferry companies for its 12-passenger seaglider vehicle, which is expected to enter service in 2025.

Once Regent's seaglider enters the water, the vehicle takes off and glides above the surface at speeds of up to 180 mph. The Boston-based company, which has raised $9 million in seed funding, has built a one-quarter scale prototype of the wing-in-ground-effect vehicle and intends to start testing this before the end of 2021. The vehicle will be certified under International Maritime Organization rules.

Work Starts on Canada's Air Traffic Management Network for Advanced Air Mobility

The Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium has enlisted the expertise of German automated air traffic management specialist D3 Technologies.

Vancouver, on Canada's Pacific coast, is set to be an early adopter of advanced air mobility services and is the main focus of a project to develop automated air traffic management infrastructure to support eVTOL flights. Germany's D3 Technologies aims to create "digital roads" for the new aircraft, using its automation and data communications systems.

U.S. Air Force Awards Airworthiness Approval to Beta's Alia eVTOL Prototype

The approval under the air force's 516c airworthiness certification criteria clear the way for the six-seat Alia aircraft to conduct manned test flights as part of the Agility Prime program.

Under the Agility Prime program, the U.S. Air Force's Afwerx unit is assessing the suitability of new electric aircraft for a variety of military missions. These include the Alia 250 model being developed by Beta Technologies and also Joby Aviation's eVTOL prototype, both of which are seeking to achieve civil type certification with the FAA by 2024.

Safran Plans Fire Protection System for Electric Aircraft

The electric-motor manufacturer is partnering with pyrotechnic specialist Pyroalliance to bring equipment to market by 2023 that could provide instant protection against electric arcs.

Fires caused by electric arcs are a safety concern for electric and hybrid-electric aircraft. With French government funding, Safran's Electrical & Power division is teaming with Pyroalliance to develop technology that could react in a millisecond to guard against this danger. Both companies have extensive experience working with high-voltage aeronautics power systems.

ZeroAvia Says Flight Test Accident Will Not Delay Hydrogen Aircraft Service Entry

The company has released a longer statement on the April 29 off-airport landing of its flight test aircraft and set up an internal investigation team.

ZeroAvia acknowledged that the accident will disrupt the completion of the HyFlyer 1 project using a six-seater Piper M Series aircraft equipped with its hydrogen propulsion system. However, it is pressing ahead with plans to certify commercial aircraft with between 10 and 50 seats.

Vertiport Plans Support Singapore's Case To Be World's First eVTOL Air Taxi Market

Ground infrastructure provider Skyports sees Asia and the U.S. being early-adopter markets for urban air mobility services, with Europe following soon after.

Political leaders in both Singapore and Florida have shown support for the integration of eVTOL aircraft into their public transportation networks. These markets are now key focal points for companies that will build and operate the vertiports from which they will operate, but questions remain as to how the competitive landscape for this infrastructure will develop.

No Injuries as ZeroAvia's Piper Testbed Lands Off-Airport in Test Flight

The Piper M Series aircraft sustained some damage when its crew had to land in a field near Cranfield Airport in the UK, where ZeroAvia is doing development work on its hydrogen propulsion system.

ZeroAvia says it is investigating the causes of the unplanned landing of its flying testbed, which may cause some disruption to its intention to evaluate its hydrogen propulsion system for use on larger aircraft. Last month, the company announced plans and new funding to power a 50-seat airliner with hydrogen.

EHang Adds Fourth Spanish Partner to Urban Air Mobility Development Network

In addition to a new partnership with the Catalan region's airports group, EHang says it will work with local officials to make the city of Zaragoza an aerial transportation hub following test flights of its EH216 eVTOL aircraft.

Chinese eVTOL aircraft developer EHang continues to place a strong emphasis on conducting public flight demonstrations and establishing partnerships with communities both in China and Europe. It is unclear when Covid pandemic restrictions will allow plans for flight trials in Austria, Norway, and Spain to resume, but the company has been showing off the EH216 at recent trade fairs and sporting events.

Astro Aerospace Set To Complete Acquisition of Horizon Aircraft

Astro, which is preparing to be listed on the Nasdaq market, will give Horizon's owners five million common shares in return for full control of the company.

Horizon Aircraft's leadership team will support Astro in developing a trio of eVTOL aircraft designs, including the Cavorite X5, the Elroy, and the Alta. However, Astro is allocating a first-year operating budget of only $1.5 million to support work on the hybrid-electric Cavorite, which is likely to need far higher levels of funding to achieve its projected type certification in 2025.