Tag: eVTOL

EVOTL OEM Ranking Hold Steady in Reality Index

Aviation Week reports that the ranking of electric air taxi startups “was unchanged in the latest edition of the AAM Reality Index, with Joby Aviation and Volocopter leading the pack followed by a three-way tie between Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies and EHang.” Joby’s front-runner position, with a score of 8.7 out of 10, largely “stems from its hefty cash cushion relative to its main competitors, according to Sergio Cecutta, founder and CEO of SMG Consulting, which publishes the bimonthly AAM Reality Index in conjunction with Aviation Week.” As a comparison, the company “finished the March quarter with nearly $1 billion in cash versus roughly $450 million for rival Archer.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

FAA Publishes EVOTL Pilot Training Standards

Aviation Week reports that the Federal Aviation Administration “has published a long-awaited document outlining proposed pilot training and operating standards for electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft, a key milestone that is intended to keep the agency on track to have operating rules in place by the end of 2024.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)

EASA Publishes World’s First Noise Certification Standards for EVOTLs

Aviation International News reports that EASA “has published what it claims are the world’s first proposed noise certification standards for eVTOLs.” The guidelines are “known as the Environmental Protection Technical Specifications (EPTS), the proposed specification would be applicable to eVTOLs powered by multiple vertical, non-tilting, evenly distributed rotors.” EASA says that the rules are intended to fill a gap in aerospace regulations. The agency used noise certification standards for heavy helicopters as a starting point while it “collects more noise data from specific eVTOL designs through certification projects.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)

Archer Aviation Progressing Towards Certification of its VTOL Vehicle

FlightGlobal reports that start-up electric air taxi company Archer Aviation “says it continues to progress toward certification of its four-person vertical take-off and landing vehicle ‘Midnight,’ and a commercial entry-into-service date of 2025.” Company CEO Adam Goldstein “said that the company has now submitted 15 of its 18 subject- specific certification plans to the Federal Aviation Administration.” Goldstein said of the certification, “We have continued to make significant progress towards our goal of revolutionising urban mobility. We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering safe, sustainable and low-noise urban air mobility beginning in 2025.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)

Vertical Aerospace Pushes EVOTL Certification to Late 2026

Aviation International News reports that Vertical Aerospace “expects it will need at least an additional 12 months to certify its VX-4 eVTOL.” A letter to company shareholders said a review of the UK-based public company’s program timeline “has resulted in a decision by the management team to target certification by late 2026.” Vertical previously “indicated the four-passenger vehicle could be approved in 2025.” The letter cited ongoing air safety regulation work in the UK, Europe, the US, and Japan, with regulatory differences between the countries explaining the additional time required.
Full Story (Aviation International News)

EASA Publishes Noise Standards for EVOTLs

Aviation International News reports that EASA “has published what it claims are the world’s first proposed noise certification standards for eVTOLs.” The proposals, known as the Environmental Protection Technical Specifications (EPTS), “are applicable to eVTOL vehicles powered by multiple vertical, non-tilting, evenly distributed rotors.” EASA says that the proposed specifications “are intended to fill a regulatory gap and use the internationally harmonized noise certification standards for heavy helicopters” as a starting point while it “collects more noise data from specific eVTOL designs through certification projects.” In addition, a hover noise level “has been developed to aid in the assessment of flight operations in the vicinity of vertiports.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)

Experts Discuss Challenges, Opportunities Around AAM

Aviation Today reported that a panel of experts hosted by AUVSI and the FAA “discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with cooperating internationally on advanced air mobility, or AAM.” Panel moderator Jessica Orquina, Manager of the Implementation Branch for the FAA’s Safety & Integration Division in the UAS Integration Office, “noted that many of the FAA’s current regulations allow AAM aircraft to meet strict safety standards through innovative means.” Further, she “added that the FAA is working with international partners to adopt common certification and integration standards from other countries as AAM is being defined.” Meanwhile, Pulkit Agrawal, Principal Certification Engineer (UAS/UAM) at Honeywell, “spoke about some of the opportunities in the AAM industry” and how the company “believes in the vision of efficient air transportation – electric air taxis that can complete a 100-mile trip in 45 minutes – as well as same-day package delivery via drone.”
Full Story (Aviation Today)

United Airlines Partners with Archer Aviation for Chicago Air Taxis

CBS News Chicago reports that United Airlines “is teaming up with Archer Aviation to provide air taxi service between O’Hare International Airport and the West Loop starting in 2025, at the same time construction on the Kennedy Expressway will be causing major delays for outbound traffic. United and Archer plan to launch the city’s first air taxi route between O’Hare and Vertiport Chicago on the Near West Side close to Pilsen and the Illinois Medical District, offering 10-minute rides between the airport and the downtown area.”
Full Story (CBS News Chicago)