Archer will use findings from flight testing of the two-seat Maker technology demonstrator to complete the preliminary design of the four-passenger eVTOL aircraft it intends to use for commercial operations beginning in 2024. In recent months, it has swelled the ranks of its engineering team, hiring people with experience in areas such as propulsion and flight controls from the aviation and automotive sectors.

As Lilium presented its first quarterly financial results since its New York Stock Exchange flotation in September, analysts quizzed the company about how it is keeping up with an ambitious timeline to bring the Lilium Jet into commercial service in 2024.

Airflow aims to start flying its eSTOL proof-of-concept aircraft in 2022, using electric motors, controllers, and batteries provided by Pipistrel. The California start-up is exploring several propulsion options for its blown-wing design and is continuing to work with U.S.-based VerdeGo Aero on a hybrid-electric powertrain for a pair of new aircraft that would carry between four and nine passengers up to around 500 miles.

Companies preparing to launch eVTOL air taxi services say they will offer very affordable flights based on greatly reduced operating costs and economies of scale. Some aircraft developers have projected per-passenger-mile costs of between $1 and $3, but questions remain as to whether all aspects of their operating costs are sufficiently well known, with so many details such as ground infrastructure and regulation still not resolved.

Reliable Robotics recently raised $100 million in a funding round that gives a significant boost to the Mountain View, California company’s efforts to develop automatic systems that will make flying safer and eventually remove pilots from the flight deck. Pilots will still be involved in the operation of the aircraft, initially Cessna Caravan single-engine turboprops, but they will be based on the ground and will simply be available to assist when needed.

Universal Avionics will install its ClearVision enhanced flight vision system and the Aperture advanced video management device as part of an extensive package of sensors for Urban Aeronautics' CityHawk eVTOL vehicle. The Elbit Systems subsidiary will fuse data from sensors and use augmented reality technology to support situational awareness and decision-making by pilots.

Volocopter's 2X eVTOL aircraft made a five-minute flight at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, the South Korean capital, as part of the "Open the Urban Sky" event organized by the country's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport. South Korea aims to launch urban air mobility services in 2025.

Flapper, which provides flights across Latin America through a network of operators, is investing in plans to convert single turboprop aircraft with MagniX's eCaravan electric propulsion package. The Brazilian charter operator will support MagniX in its efforts to get approval for the converted aircraft in the markets it serves.

Proponents of increased automation say it is rich in promise for the future of aviation, with the potential to safely support step changes in the scale and scope of aircraft operations. Pioneers like Reliable Robotics are convinced that remotely piloted technology can unlock the business case for cargo, and later passenger, flights to multiple airports now grossly underutilized. In this video, the Reliable Robotics team explains how they are progressing their technology with flight tests on an adapted Cessna 208 Cargomaster aircraft.

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