Charles Alcock
Managing Editor
Charles Alcock is a senior editor with AIN, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at Manchester University in the northwest of England and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.
Latest from Charles Alcock
Aircraft
Avolon Signs Up Turkey's Gozen For Scheduled eVTOL Services
The leasing group has now found prospective operators for 550 of Vertical Aerospace's four-passenger VX4 eVTOL aircraft, with deliveries to start in 2024.
FutureFlight
Turkish Operator Gozen Will Fly Vertical's VX4 eVTOL in Scheduled Services
Leasing group Avolon says that payments for provisional eVTOL orders will be finalized only after operating plans have been confirmed with prospective customers.
FutureFlight
EHang Expects EH216 Certification in Mid-2022 and Launch of World's First eVTOL Revenue Flights
The Chinese company told investors to expect an uptick in revenues during the second half of this year from sightseeing and firefighting operations.
FutureFlight
Lilium Gets Clearance To Resume eVTOL Flight Testing in Spain
The company had to suspend flight testing for just over two years after losing a technology demonstrator to a ground fire in February 2020.
Aircraft
UK Indefinitely Detains Two Russian-owned Private Jets
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that a Global 6500 and a Citation Latitude owned by Eugene Shvidler have now been seized by the UK government.
Aircraft
Eve's Post-merger Capital Expected To Near $600M
Eve Urban Air Mobility now expects to raise nearly $600 million from its pending merger with Zanite Acquisition Corp. and subsequent IPO.
FutureFlight
Eve Anticipates Increased Capital from 2Q 2022 Merger and Wall Street Flotation
New backers for the eVTOL aircraft developer's public investment in private equity have brought around $42 million in additional funds to a deal that will see it merge with Zanite Acquisition.
FutureFlight
Joby's Second eVTOL Prototype Restarts Flight Testing After Accident
The company is working with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the cause of a February 16 crash involving its first prototype aircraft.
FutureFlight
For Jaunt's eVTOL Design, Slow Rotor Compound Technology Is the Secret Sauce
The company's approach in designed to deliver the best of both the fixed-wing and rotorcraft worlds.
FutureFlight
How Methanol Is Staking a Claim to Be a Key Enabler for Hydrogen-fueled Aviation
U.S.-based start-up Element 1 is advancing the case for using liquid methanol as a means of producing net-zero-carbon hydrogen fuel for aircraft.
FutureFlight
Japan's Kanematsu Group Leads $23 Million Series B Funding Round for Skyports
The trading conglomerate was joined by other new investors including industrial real estate company Goodman Group, Italian airport and infrastructure funds 2i Aeroporti and F2i, and GreenPoint, a U.S.-based venture-capital firm.
FutureFlight
Air Traffic Management Group Terra Drone Boosted by $70 Million Funding Round
The Series B funding round was supported by Mitsui, SBI Investment Co., Tokyo Land Corporation, Kyushu Electric Power T&D, and Seika Corporation
FutureFlight
Paris eVTOL Flight Trials Aim To Make a Big, Quiet Impact on Air Mobility
Flight testing with both the 2X technology demonstrator and the VoloCity eVTOL prototype are intended to provide a complete understanding of the aircraft's acoustic profile.
FutureFlight
New Concept of Operations Report Paves the Way for UK Progress with Urban Air Mobility
The document was produced by a consortium that included Eve, Vertical Aerospace and Volocopter, along with air traffic management groups NATS and Atech, ground infrastructure specialist and drone operator Skyports, and London's Heathrow and City Airports.
FutureFlight
Car Maker Suzuki Backs SkyDrive's Plans To Bring Flying Car to Market
The Tokyo-based start-up is now receiving professional support from Suzuki Motor Corporation for research, development, manufacturing, and business planning.
FutureFlight
New Aviation Technology Prompts Insurance Providers To Recalibrate Risk Assessments
Specialist insurance group Global Aerospace formed its Emerging Technology Unit to address the need to cover advanced air mobility products and operations.
FutureFlight
Sustainability Group Acciona Commits to Strategic Investment in Eve's Urban Air Mobility Plans
The $30 million strategic investment is set to be made once Eve completes an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange following a business combination with Zanite Acquisition Corp.
FutureFlight
Delta Air Lines Agrees to Back Airbus Plans For Hydrogen-powered Airliners
Under a memorandum of understanding, Delta Air Lines will participate in Airbus-lead research and development work aimed at getting a hydrogen-powered airliner into service in 2035.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Iceberg Short-Selling Report Targets Lilium Mainly over Battery Claims for Ducted Fan eVTOL Design
The March 14 report argues that Lilium is losing ground in the race to launch eVTOL commercial operations and also that it has overstated the solidity of announced aircraft sales to date.
Aircraft
Textron Buying Pipistrel To Boost Electric Aviation Plans
Textron will make further investments in European electric aircraft maker Pipistrel, which will be the foundation for its new eAviation division.
FutureFlight
Textron Supercharges Electric Aviation Ambitions With Pipistrel Acquisition
Textron will pay around $242 million to acquire Slovenia-based Pipistrel and says it will back the company with further investments and its global product support network.
Aircraft
Eve Steps Up Miami UAM Plans, Nets 200-unit Order
Embraer Eve has announced plans to prepare the way for urban air mobility flights in the Miami area with local operator Global Crossing Airlines.
Finance, Taxes, Insurance
Isle of Man Register Ditches Russian Private Aircraft
Responding to sanctions against Russian individuals and companies over the invasion of Ukraine, the Isle of Man has deregistered multiple private aircraft.
FutureFlight
Eve Steps Up Plans for Miami Urban Air Mobility, as Local Operator Agrees to Add 200 eVTOLs to Charter Fleet
Charter airline GlobalX has signed a letter of intent covering 200 provisional orders for Eve's four-passenger eVTOL aircraft.
FutureFlight
Archer Tells Shareholders It Is on Track with eVTOL Aircraft Development Plans
The California-based start-up reported that it began 2022 with $746.9 million in cash reserves as it stepped up work to bring a four-passenger eVTOL aircraft to market.
FutureFlight
Solvay Steps Up Work on Materials for Advanced Air Mobility with New Partnerships
The materials specialist has started working with Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research.
FutureFlight
U.S. Air Force Pilots Take the Controls of Beta's Alia for First Crewed Military eVTOL Flight
Beta Technologies is working to bring the six-seat, fixed-wing Alia 250 eVTOL model into commercial service in 2024 and is also building a network of charging stations across the U.S.
FutureFlight
Universal Hydrogen To Build Manufacturing and Distribution Center in Albuquerque
The company wants the New Mexico plant to be ready to start production in 2024, to support the first planned commercial flights by converted airliners in 2025.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Industry Responds to FAA Draft Engineering Brief on Vertiport Design
Stakeholder consultations on FAA proposals for vertiport and vertistop design standards is due to close on April 18, and a final engineering brief could be ready in June.
Charter & Fractional
Russian Sanctions Could Dent Business Aviation Market
Business aviation companies now face new pressures to ensure they do not breach sanctions and other restrictions on Russian-controlled aircraft.
