Lilium announced the $1 billion aircraft purchase agreement with Brazilian airline Azul as it prepares to complete a Nasdaq flotation through a merger with Qell Acquisition Corp. Azul will operate and maintain a fleet of 220 Lilium Jets, while the German manufacturer provides batteries, spare parts, and an aircraft health monitoring system.

DHL Express has agreed to buy 12 of the freighter version of Eviation's Alice all-electric airplane, which is also being offered for passenger services. The package delivery group intends to use the new eCargo version of the aircraft to support feeder routes from smaller airfields where it can be recharged at a rate of 30 minutes per flight hour.

New eVTOL aircraft could get paramedics to the scene of a medical emergency quicker than ambulances or even helicopters, and those few extra minutes could mean the difference between life and death. That’s why companies like Jump, Jaunt, Volocopter, Kitty Hawk, and Urban Aeronautics all have plans to deploy their new vehicles in emergency medical service roles.

Joby could be among the first of the U.S. eVTOL aircraft developers, and prospective air taxi service providers, to secure an FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate in 2022. The company has recruited a seasoned team, with both airliner and military experience, to handle detailed preparations to begin commercial services by 2024.

Bye Aerospace now claims to have an order backlog for 800 of its electric fixed-wing aircraft, including the new eFlyer 800 model. The company claims the eFlyer, priced at around $6 million, can compete with turboprop and piston general aviation aircraft, such as Textron's King Air family. The manufacturer also has confirmed that Garmin will supply its G500 TXi avionics suite for the smaller eFlyer 2 model.

For now, Samad Aerospace is based in the UK, but the company has not ruled out moving its eStarling program to another country as it works to secure further funding of around $41 million. It reports success in recent hover testing with a subscale version of its eVTOL design and is also evaluating an eSTOL version of the aircraft, for which it now says it holds more than 100 purchase agreements.

After suffering serious damage from a battery fire while developing a new electric aircraft, Luminati Aerospace developed a new type of battery pack that incorporates cooling techniques to increase safety. The company is concerned that battery technology adopted by eVTOL aircraft developers from the automotive sector is not fit for the aviation sector.

The use of automation is increasing in many aspects of aviation, but beyond that fully autonomous operations are now a real possibility for new types of aircraft, including eVTOL air taxis. Technology including software, sensors, automated communications, and artificial intelligence are all part of a complex matrix being developed to make this approach safe. The major benefit is significant cost savings for operators, and that should make new types of air service commercially viable. FutureFlight heard how this is all coming together in an interview with independent expert Sergio Cecutta.

ZEVA Aero is seeking further funding to advance its plans to bring its distinctive disc-shaped Zero eVTOL vehicle to market.