Lilium is partnering with private aircraft fractional ownership pioneer NetJets and its fellow Berkshire Hathaway company, FlightSafety International. The agreement could see NetJets marketing shares in a special four-seat premium version of its Lilium Jet and also serving as an operating partner for shuttle services in markets such as Florida.

The FAA and the UK's Civil Aviation Authority have said that they will collaborate on efforts to certify eVTOL aircraft. An agreement announced this week will build on existing bilateral air safety arrangements between the two countries, making it easier for manufacturers and operators to get approvals validated on either side of the Atlantic.

Volocopter announced a planned leadership change a few days after reporting that South Korea’s WP Investments, Honeywell, and previous investor Atlantis are the main backers for a $170 million Series E funding round. From September 2022, Dirk Hoke, formerly CEO of Airbus Defence & Space, will succeed Florian Reuter as the German eVTOL aircraft developer's CEO and managing director.

CAE will work with Joby Aviation to develop training devices and full-flight simulators with which to train large numbers of pilots to fly its all-electric, five-seat eVTOL aircraft, which are expected to start commercial services in 2024. Joby has already built a fixed-base simulator and has been using this to give pilots early experience with controlling the vehicle, which is expected to feature a high degree of flight deck automation to reduce crew workloads.

The Department of Transportation's Inspector General will audit the FAA’s progress in establishing the basis for certification of urban air mobility aircraft, which will ensure the safety of novel features and provide guidance to applications.However, the Vertical Flight Society feels that the call for the audit is based on an inaccurate assessment of the approach being taken by the agency and the industry.

Jaunt Air Mobility is strengthening the partnership base for developing its family of eVTOL aircraft with the appointment of India-based L&T Technology Services, which has provided so-called pure-play engineering services to aerospace clients including Airbus. Meanwhile, the company is establishing its design and manufacturing facility in Montreal as it prepares to merge with the Airo Group.

Queensland, Australia-based industry collaboration platform Greenbird has welcomed the country's Griffith University as its fifth advanced air mobility “ecosystem partner.” Other partners for the consortium now include ground infrastructure group Skyports, prospective eVTOL aircraft operator Nautilus Aviation, Aviator Group, and Aviation Projects. The project is led by airport and aviation industry advisors Avistra.

Advanced air mobility was prominent on the agenda at this week’s HAI HeliExpo 2022 event in Dallas. Several eVTOL aircraft developers, including Jaunt and Joby, were present, and so was the Vertical Flight Society, which continues to be a leading advocate for the new sector of aviation. Executive director Mike Hirschberg provided a valuable overview of how the organization views the future of vertical flight in both civil and military use. For anyone who couldn’t make the trip to Texas, it’s 45 minutes well spent and an excellent overview of current developments and their wider context.

Having achieved its merger with special purpose acquisition company Qell and Nasdaq flotation in September 2021, attention will shift to the pace at which Lilium can complete development and certification work for its seven-seat eVTOL aircraft. The company is working to adjust the configuration of its propulsion system, to reduce the number of ducted fans from 36 to 30, before it can start test flights with a pre-production prototype.