Reuters reports, “Archer Aviation said on Wednesday the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the company a certificate to begin commercial operations, making it the second electric air taxi maker to achieve the key milestone.”
Full Story (Reuters)
Tag: eVTOL
Joby Aviation Attains Autonomous Flight Developer Xwing
Flying Magazaine reports, “Joby on Tuesday announced it acquired the autonomy division of Xwing, the developer of autonomous gate-to-gate flight software Superpilot, as it looks ahead to a transition to self-flying air taxi services. The manufacturer plans to initially operate the aircraft with onboard pilots and has a partnership with Delta Air Lines to launch commercial service as early as next year.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Joby Aviation Eyes Saudi Arabia for Electric Air Taxi Network
Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation is setting its sights on Saudi Arabia. The manufacturer on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mukamalah Aviation—a subsidiary of state-owned oil and gas company Saudi Aramco that according to Joby operates the world’s largest fleet of corporate aircraft—to introduce its eVTOL air taxi in the country.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Archer Introduces ‘Automotive Style’ Battery Pack to Air Taxi Production Line
Flying reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation is ready to produce thousands of lithium-ion battery packs for its flagship Midnight air taxi. The manufacturer on Wednesday announced it completed the installation of an “automotive style” battery pack manufacturing line within its integrated test lab and manufacturing facilities in San Jose, California.
Full Story (Flying)
Joby Concludes Flight Testing with Pre-Production eVTOL
FlightGlobal reports, “US air taxi start-up Joby Aviation has concluded the pre-production flight test programme that it launched four years ago, now transitioning into a production-focused phase of development.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
Beta Alia-250 Completes First Crewed eVTOL Transition Flight
Flying Magazine reports, “Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies this week achieved a milestone few eVTOL companies have reached. The company on Tuesday said it completed a crewed, full transition flight of its Alia-250 (A250) eVTOL.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Archer, Joby to Provide Air Taxi Service in Abu Dhabi
Flying Magazine reports, “Two titans in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi industry are building on their previously announced plans to serve the United Arab Emirates. At the inaugural DriftX conference in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, both headquartered in California, signed agreements with Abu Dhabi government agencies to introduce their respective air taxis in the Emirate.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
Beta Performs Piloted eVTOL Aircraft Transition Flight
Aviation International News reports, “Beta Technologies has achieved the first piloted transition flights with a prototype of its Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft prototype, the Vermont-based aircraft developer announced today. A successful transition flight marks a significant milestone in the development of any eVTOL aircraft, demonstrating the core capabilities of vertical lift and horizontal cruise in combination.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
EHang Receives Production Certificate for Its eVTOL Aircraft
Aviation International News reports, “The Civil Administration of China (CAAC) has issued a production certificate to EHang, clearing the way for the company to start large-scale series production of its EH216-S autonomous eVTOL aircraft. The approval, which was announced at an event in Guangzhou on Sunday, was granted just under six months after EHang became the first eVTOL manufacturer in the world to achieve type certification—on October 13.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Flying Magazine Takes a First Look at Joby’s eVOTL Future
Flying Magazine reports, “Today, Joby is a roughly $4 billion-cap enterprise on the cusp of its type certification for-credit testing with the FAA on an evolution of the very vehicle [JoeBen] Bevirt envisioned would lift him from that dusty bus stop into the peaceful meadow near his parents’ forest home.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)