Azul Conecta, a regional airline in Brazil, has signed a letter of intent with hybrid-electric aircraft developer Ampaire to upgrade up to six of its Cessna Grand Caravans to Eco Caravans. The announcement comes about two months after Ampaire successfully conducted the first flight test of an Eco Caravan, which is a hybrid-electric version of the Cessna 208 Grand Caravan.

Ameriflight has agreed to purchase 20 autonomous freighter aircraft from Natilus. The Dallas-based Part 135 cargo airline says it is eyeing the Natilus Kona, an unpiloted short-haul feeder aircraft, to support its expedited supply-chain services. 

Opener, the California-based start-up behind the BlackFly personal eVTOL aircraft, says it is on track to begin collecting orders from customers this year—but the company isn’t making any promises or setting a firm date just yet.

Moya Aero aims to have a technology demonstrator example of its eVTOL aircraft ready to start flight testing in September 2023. Building on the aircraft development expertise of its parent company, ACS Aviation, which has worked with partners including Embraer, the new business intends to offer the vehicle for applications such as crop-spraying and cargo deliveries.

Japanese eVTOL aircraft developer SkyDrive sees South Carolina as a likely early adopter of all-electric air taxi services. Under an agreement with local and state officials, it will develop plans to launch operations with prospective partners as it continues to work on certification for its aircraft, which is intended for trips of no more than six miles.

When it opens in 2024, the Hydrogen Aviation Center will provide test stands, workshops, and space for installing and adapting aircraft propulsion systems. It is at Germany's Stuttgart Airport and will offer space for testing aircraft, such as the D328eco, which is being developed by Deutsche Aircraft and hydrogen propulsion specialist H2Fly.

Expected to carry nine passengers or 2,500 pounds of freight, Electra's hybrid-electric eSTOL aircraft is intended for a variety of civil and military applications and for landing strips of no more than 300 feet. The company, which says it is about to start test flights with a two-seat technology demonstrator, now has more funding to complete development and certification.

Horizon Aircraft recently started flight testing with the half-scale prototype for its Cavorite X5 eVTOL aircraft. The initial tethered hover takeoff was achieved at the start-up's test facility in Canada on Dec. 8, 2022, with 20 percent of its ducted fan propulsions disengaged to evaluate system redundancy.

The full-scale aircraft will seat four passengers plus one pilot and is intended for air taxi rides, cargo transport, disaster relief, and emergency medical services. It features a patented fan-in-wing vertical lift system with 16 ducted fans built into the wing and canard. 

The Cavorite X5 prototype “exceeded expectations during initial hover testing,” commented Horizon CEO Brandon Robinson. “It is extremely stable and is capable of full hover at only 65 percent power. This is a large-scale aircraft, with a 22-foot wingspan, over 15 feet in length, and capable of speeds over 175 mph. It continues to yield valuable data that is constantly improving our full-scale design.” 

Aerofugia, a subsidiary of Chinese automotive group Zhejiang Geely, is working on what appears to be a four-passenger eVTOL design designated as the AE200 X01. A prototype reported to have made a first hover flight in January 2023 appears to be based to some degree on the earlier TF-2 design being developed by Geely's former U.S. subsidiary Terrafugia.