One of Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport experimental cargo drones crashed March 14 in a field near Mineral Wells, Texas, in what is being categorized as a “loss of control” accident by the FAA. 

Autoflight has secured a major order from Singapore-based fleet management and air transport company EvFly for 205 Prosperity I and Prosperity Cargo eVTOL aircraft. Expected to be delivered in 2025, the first 10 Prosperity aircraft will operate in Middle Eastern markets such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and EvFly plans to eventually deploy additional units in Asia and Africa.

Beta Technologies says its electric aircraft will soon be making cargo deliveries in the United Arab Emirates. The UAE has given United Parcel Service a temporary license to begin testing electric aircraft for cargo operations within its borders. UPS will use Beta's conventional electric airplane model, called the CX300, before introducing Beta's Alia-250 eVTOL aircraft in the UAE.

EHang says it has completed 90 percent of the tasks associated with type certification of its EH216 eVTOL aircraft by the Civil Aviation Administration of China and estimates that 70 percent of the remaining testing of its production-conforming aircraft is either completed or in progress.

Regent says that support from Lockheed Martin Ventures will further its plans to develop military applications for its electric-powered sea gliders. The U.S. start-up says it has begun developing a full-scale prototype for the 12-passenger Viceroy vehicle and intends to start piloted test flights in 2024 as it prepares to certify the sea glider under maritime rules in time for commercial services to start in 2025.

The International Civil Aviation Organization has issued its newest request for information to public and private-sector providers in support of the 2023 Drone Enable Symposium, which is scheduled for December 5 to 7 at ICAO headquarters in Montreal.

During the Arab Aviation Summit in Ras Al Khaimah, Canadian start-up VPorts signed deals with three advanced air mobility (AAM) companies—SkyDrive, Electra Aero, and Falcon Aviation—that will help it stand up and operate an AAM business park in Dubai. The company announced plans to build and operate a vertiport at the Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.

Lilium has released a video showing its Phoenix 2 eVTOL technology demonstrator achieving its speed target of 136 knots (156.4 mph), which is just over the company's projected cruise speed for the six-passenger Lilium Jet production aircraft of up to 155 mph. The Germany-based company, which is conducting flight tests with the Phoenix 2 at the Atlas test facility in Spain, said the high-speed test demonstrates the stability and controllability of the vehicle and will support efforts to certify a production-conforming aircraft. The 136-knot speed was achieved after the aircraft transitioned to horizontal flight with the aircraft being remotely piloted from the ground.

The Nexus eVTOL has been significantly redesigned since it was introduced by Textron subsidiary Bell in January 2019. It is now being developed under the group's new eAviation division.