A letter of intent signed by Eve Urban Air Mobility and Falko Aviation calls for the leasing group to potentially add 200 of Eve's four-passenger eVTOL aircraft to its portfolio. The partners will also work together to assist prospective commercial operators to establish route networks and begin operations with product support and air traffic management software provided by the Embraer subsidiary.

With two eVTOL prototype aircraft engaged in flight testing, and with the Stage 4 G-1 certification basis agreed to by the FAA, Joby Aviation appears to be ahead of rivals in the race to begin commercial flights in 2024. Since 2017, the company has conducted more than 1,000 flights, logging 5,300 miles and generating 65 terabytes of test data as its engineering team completes discussions with the FAA over the means-of-compliance process.

Robotic Skies founder and CEO Brad Hayden says that the advanced air mobility sector's ambitions to rapidly scale up eVTOL aircraft operations will require solid arrangements for maintenance and support. He feels this will necessitate taking the best practices from the existing Part 145-regulated world of aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul services and adapting these to fit the diversity of the new aircraft and the different business models of the companies that will operate these. New backing from the Hearst group could support its ambitious expansion plans.

Roei Ganzarski has led the development of MagniX's electric propulsion units, helping to secure early commitments from prospective operators of converted aircraft, including the Cessna Grand Caravan and the DHC-2 Beaver. He has also been part of the leadership team at sister company Eviation, whose all-electric Alice fixed-wing aircraft is imminently due to make its first flight.

Software developer Incari is starting a collaboration with a major European aerospace group to evaluate how its design platform could speed up the development of human-machine interfaces in aircraft cockpits. The company's software can be directly connected with aircraft sensors, such as GPS, and should help aerospace engineers tap the potential of technology, including augmented reality, remote touch, and computer-brain interfaces.

With NASA funding in place, inflight connectivity provider SmartSky Networks is collaborating with GE Digital and Mosaic ATM to combine airborne and cloud-based flight management systems to provide more effective data processing for air traffic management. The partners say giving controllers a more complete picture of eVTOL aircraft operations will be critical to safely scaling up advanced air mobility services.

Dufour Aerospace is aiming to bring its Aero3 hybrid-electric eVTOL aircraft to market in 2026, three years after anticipated first deliveries of the smaller Aero3 autonomous air vehicle version of the tilt-wing design. Sweden-based rotorcraft marketing group Savback has agreed to act as distributor for the aircraft in several Nordic countries, which suggests that the Aero models are seen as replacements for existing helicopters.

ZeroAvia is working to convert regional airliners to run on hydrogen-based electric power. The company expects its first product to be a 19-seater model that could start commercial flights in 2024, and, to this end, it is preparing to begin flight testing of its new 600 kW ZA600 powertrain on a Dornier 228 twin turboprop aircraft. Just before the break for the year-end holidays, the ZeroAvia team started ground testing the propulsion units, turning one set of propellers at its development center at Cotswold Airport. The video shows the start of four weeks of preparation that is expected to lead to a take-off before the end of January. Work is also underway to develop a more powerful 3 MW system that could be used with 50-plus-seat aircraft like the DeHavilland Dash 8 Q400 and the Bombardier CRJ regional jet.

Chennai-based start-up ePlane sees its e200 eVTOL aircraft as a viable solution for public transportation congestion in Indian cities, with applications including self-piloted use by high-net-worth individuals and on-demand rideshare taxi services.