The Civil Aviation Administration of China has issued a production certificate to EHang, clearing the way for the company to start large-scale series production of its EH216-S autonomous eVTOL aircraft. The approval, announced at an event in Guangzhou on April 7, was granted just under six months after EHang became the first eVTOL manufacturer in the world to achieve type certification on October 13.

An undisclosed Japanese company has taken delivery of an early example of AutoFlight’s Prosperity 1 eVTOL aircraft. In an announcement on April 3, the Chinese manufacturer said the aircraft has shipped to Japan and is being transferred to the customer's premises. AutoFlight also confirmed that it now holds type certification for the autonomous CarryAll freighter version of the aircraft, which has a payload of 440 kilograms (970 pounds).

To keep eVTOL air taxis safe from bird strikes, ground infrastructure developer UrbanV has teamed up with artificial intelligence specialist The Edge Company to test an automated bird monitoring system on a vertiport facility at Rome–Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino International Airport.

Daher will begin the conceptual design phase later this year of a hybrid-electric TBM model, said aviation division senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert at the 2024 Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo. The end product will be influenced by the TBM 940-based EcoPulse technology demonstrator that was developed and is now being tested in partnership with Safran and Airbus. Chabbert announced the hybrid-electric model last year at Sun ’n Fun, pledging to have it in service in 2027.

ZeroAvia this week announced plans to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for regional aircraft powered by its hydrogen-electric propulsion system. On April 9, the company signed a memorandum of understanding with line maintenance provider Feam Aero, which has 52 bases worldwide.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is teaming up with San Antonio International Airport in Texas to advance sustainable aviation technologies such as batteries for electric aircraft, energy storage solutions, and power management systems. The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the DOE’s innovation unit, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the city’s aviation department and public service board, as well as the University of Texas at San Antonio, in which the partners pledged to collaborate on developing and promoting technologies that will help to decarbonize the aviation sector.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council has adopted new standards and recommended practices aimed at enhancing safety and facilitating the integration of remotely piloted aircraft into the international airspace system. This development, announced on April 5 at the conclusion of ICAO's 231st Session, represents a major step forward in the organization's ongoing effort to improve the global air navigation system.

In a behind-the-scenes video of its ground control station, autonomous cargo drone developer Elroy Air shows what it takes to conduct a flight test with an uncrewed, remotely piloted aircraft. The California-based company recently launched a flight test campaign with a prototype of its hybrid-electric Chaparral C1 cargo freighter, which is designed to carry 300 to 500 pounds (136 to 227 kilograms) of payload up to 300 miles (480 kilometers).