As it urgently seeks to complete EASA type certification for its two-seat VoloCity eVTOL aircraft by this summer, Volocopter has gained clearance to start a preliminary phase of serial manufacturing at its facilities in Bruchsal, Germany. The company also is now cleared to operate an approved training organization allowing it to train eVTOL aircraft pilots.

Whisper Aero CEO Mark Moore revealed a concept for a 100-passenger electric aircraft called the "Whisper Jetliner" at the Ohio Air Mobility Symposium this week. The company has submitted a proposal for the design to NASA's Advanced Aircraft for Sustainable Aviation program, which the agency launched last year to "stimulate innovation and the development of advanced conceptual designs and technologies for commercial subsonic aircraft that could enter service around 2050."

Hybrid-electric powertrain pioneer Ampaire is further expanding its portfolio of sustainable flight solutions with the acquisition of Magpie Aviation, a start-up that’s developing an autonomous "aerotow" to extend the range of large electric aircraft by tugging them through the atmosphere.

Transcend Air now plans to replace electric motors in its hybrid-electric tiltwing VTOL design with a magnetic levitation propulsion system developed by MagLev Aero. The companies say the tailfin-mounted units will be much quieter than traditional rotorcraft tail rotors.

The FAA has granted Textron eAviation’s Pipistrel an exemption from the light sport aircraft (LSA) regulations, allowing the company’s Velis Electro electric-powered airplane to operate under LSA regulations in the U.S. This means that flight training schools and individual pilots can fly the Velis Electro without restrictions that until relegated them to experimental airworthiness limitations.

South Korean transportation group Ghenus Air has agreed to buy 10 of Lyte Aviation's LA-44 aircraft, including three of the new X Prime version, which will feature a 19-seat cabin for private and business aviation customers. Lyte Aviation aims to have a prototype of the hydrogen-electric VTOL aircraft ready to fly 24 months from now.

Under its new advanced air mobility partnership with Airbus, leasing group LCI will evaluate financing options for the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL aircraft. LCI has indicated it may introduce leasing options that would combine aircraft, with infrastructure such as batteries and recharging facilities.

Pivotal has delivered four single-seat Blackfly eVTOL aircraft—pre-production examples of its flagship Helix personal aerial vehicle—to Modern Technology Solutions (MTSI), an engineering firm contracted by the U.S. Air Force’s Afwerx innovation unit to assess the tilt-aircraft’s performance for potential defense applications. 

Wing-in-ground-effect craft can open up coastal routes as alternatives to ships without requiring airports. Singapore’s ST Engineering recently unveiled its Airfish design and announced that Turkey’s Eurasia Mobility Solutions will be the launch customer. In the U.S., Regent Craft is developing a model called the Viceroy to operate in states including Florida and Hawaii.