Electric aviation company Beta Technologies, which has been developing eVTOL aircraft since 2017, plans to certify a conventional airplane version of its all-electric aircraft 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. Early testing of the pressurized, 20-kilowatt HTPEM fuel cell stack at the company’s research and development facility in the UK demonstrated a specific power level of 2.5 kW/kg at the cell level, and the company expects to achieve power densities exceeding 3 kW/kg in the next two years.

Air ambulance services in Norway already use helicopters including Airbus's H135 and H145 models. Now the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation wants to understand how eVTOL aircraft, such as the CityAirbus NextGen, could be deployed alongside them to lower response times and improve patient outcomes.

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.

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 Vertical Energy Centre is the UK’s most advanced aerospace battery facility, says the company. 

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.

Autonomous flight technology developer Reliable Robotics has partnered with 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. 

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

The big established names in aircraft manufacturing have largely stayed out of the advanced air mobility sector so far, with few of them embarking on the development of new eVTOL models. The most notable exception is Airbus, which is committing increasing resources to bring its CityAirbus NextGen vehicle to market in 2025. The project is a keystone in the European aerospace group’s green aviation agenda.

Elroy Air's objective is developing a cargo-carrying aircraft called the Chaparral that will operate completely autonomously, including when it is loading and unloading freight.