Textron will make Europe-based electric aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel the foundation of its eAviation division. The U.S. aerospace group says it is ready to make significant investments to advance the company's plans to bring several new electric aircraft to market, including the 20-seat Miniliner regional airliner and the Nuuva family of autonomous freighters.

Volocopter and multiple partners in the ReInvent Mobility project are working to prepare to launch eVTOL air taxi services in and around the French capital during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. A key aspect to this is minimizing the noise impact on residents, which involves refining aircraft systems but also careful planning of routes and how services will interact with ground infrastructure.

Air Greenland has committed to buying or leasing from Avolon a fleet of Vertical Aerospace VX4 eVTOL aircraft under a partnership tasked with forming a working group to identify local infrastructure and certification requirements for the Arctic region. The group will discuss infrastructure and certification requirements. These will likely include whether the all-electric lift-and-cruise aircraft will be certified to operate in known icing conditions.

Insurance group Global Aerospace has established a dedicated business unit to focus on the insurance needs of new aviation technologies and business models, including eVTOL air taxi services and autonomous cargo deliveries.

Spain's Acciona group, which is involved in energy, transportation, and infrastructure sectors, has announced a $30 million strategic investment in Eve Urban Air Mobility. This deal is expected to close after the completion of the Embraer subsidiary's merger with Zanite Acquisition and subsequent flotation on the New York Stock Exchange. Meanwhile, parent company Embraer is expanding its Project EASy partnership to develop autonomous flight technologies.

Joby Aviation has submitted what it calls the first area-specific certification plan to the FAA that lays out the combination of design reports, analysis, and testing that it will employ to demonstrate compliance with FAA safety standards for one functional area of the aircraft. The requirements addressed in the cabin safety certification plan include crashworthiness, flammability, and protecting occupants in case of an emergency landing.

Airbus this week secured major U.S. carrier Delta as a partner in its Zero E plans to bring a hydrogen-powered airliner to market in 2035. The airline will participate in research and development efforts to assess three concepts being considered as the basis for the aircraft, joining other international scheduled carriers in the program.

Advanced air mobility evangelists say it’s going to be like getting an Uber, but rising above gridlocked traffic in small electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, like the one being developed by Joby Aviation in California. During the recent Heli-Expo trade show in Dallas, the AIN video team interviewed Greg Bowles, the company's head of government affairs, to find out what it's going to take to make air travel more green, lean, and responsive to passengers’ need for more complete connectivity. 

Since it launched in 2018, Japan's SkyDrive has raised more than $50 million to support its goal of developing a family of flying cars and other urban air mobility vehicles. The company is now working in a partnership with carmaker Suzuki.