FutureFlight.aero

AIN Media Group’s FutureFlight.aero site is merging with our main AINonline.com news platform. From April 12, in AIN's new FutureFlight section, readers will find all the latest news about the cutting-edge technologies and business models that are redefining aviation, and they will continue to receive FutureFlight's dedicated weekly newsletter. In the five years since AIN launched FutureFlight, the scope of our news coverage has expanded exponentially.

The government of the state of Victoria has made an undisclosed investment in Australian start-up Dovetail Electric Aviation to support its plans to bring electric regional aircraft to market. The company announced on April 12 that it has relocated its headquarters from New South Wales to Victoria, where it now has bases in Melbourne and at Latrobe Regional Airport.

Flight automation developer Merlin has built its own simulator as a test bench for the technology it is working to introduce on both civil and military aircraft. The company this week announced that it has started using the Certification System Bench for development work at its Boston headquarters.

A pair of air taxi operators have agreed to add Electron Aerospace’s planned four-passenger electric aircraft to their fleets. Germany’s Air2E and U.S.-based Hopscotch Air this week signed memorandums of understanding covering an unspecified number of the Electron 5 model and a payment schedule, taking the Dutch start-up’s tally of prospective orders to almost €200 million ($217 million).

This week at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo, Textron eAviation is showing off its first Pipistrel Velis Electro to receive an FAA exemption from light sport aircraft (LSA) regulations. The exemption came March 4 and permits the electric-powered, two-seat airplane to be operated under LSA regulations in the U.S. Kriya Shortt, the president and CEO of Textron eAviation, told AIN at the show that the company’s goal is to now deliver exempted Velis Electro demonstrators to its dealer network.

ZeroAvia this week announced plans to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for regional aircraft powered by its hydrogen-electric propulsion system. On Tuesday, the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with line maintenance provider Feam Aero, which has 52 bases worldwide. California-based ZeroAvia is working to achieve type certification for its 600-kilowatt ZA600 powertrain for aircraft seating between nine and 19 passengers.

Daher will begin the conceptual design phase later this year of a hybrid-electric TBM model, said aviation division senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert this morning at the 2024 Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo. The end product will be influenced by the TBM 940-based EcoPulse technology demonstrator that was developed and is now being tested in partnership with Safran and Airbus. Chabbert announced the hybrid-electric model last year at Sun ’n Fun, pledging to have it in service in 2027.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council has adopted new standards and recommended practices (SARPs) aimed at enhancing safety and facilitating the integration of remotely piloted aircraft into the international airspace system. This development, announced on April 5 at the conclusion of ICAO's 231st Session, represents a major step forward in the organization's ongoing effort to improve the global air navigation system.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is teaming up with San Antonio International Airport in Texas to advance sustainable aviation technologies such as batteries for electric aircraft, energy storage solutions, and power management systems.

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, 2023.