A visit to the Lilium factory, Lufthansa Allegris cabin & more (The Allplane Newsletter #154)
There’s a new episode of the podcast!
When it comes to aviation and transportation sustainability, are we calculating things wrong? So thinks Dr. Klaus Radermacher, an engineer and consultant that has studied the challenges of sustainable mobility. Check out this long and fascinating conversation about the trade-offs involved in the field of mobility.
Electric Aviation
Eviation has come up with yet another redesign of its Alice aircraft. Check the new features and changes here.
magniX has signed a Letter of Intent with Harbour Air to supply the Canadian airline with 50 magni650 Electric Engines. Although Harbour Air is a small local airline in British Columbia, the deal is rather symbolic because this operator was the first to operate an electric commercial flight.
Avinor, which is the state-owned company that manages most airports in Norway, and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority want to facilitate the testing of electric aircraft in Norway, providing a friendly infrastructure and regulatory environment. Zero surprises for those that have been following this topic for some time. This is also in line with what Avinor’s Sustainability Manager Olav Mosvold Larsen told us when he came to the podcast.
Aviation continues to be fertile ground for Silicon Valley’s YC startup incubator. One of the startups of the YC’23 batch, Radical, has raised $4.5M to develop solar powered drones. READ.
KLM has joined the advisory board of Elysian, an truly ambitious 90-seater electric aircraft project.
Advanced Air mobility
Busy week for the advanced air mobility industry in Abu Dhabi:
My behind-the-scenes tour of Lilum’s production facility in Germany, including a glimpse of the half-completed MSN01 first production aircraft!
Lilium also announced a 20-aircraft order from a new Florida-based operator.
This happens as both Volocopter and Lilium appear to be financially strained.
Archer is advancing in its plans to deploy in the UAE, with a comprehensive program that includes the set up of a network of vertiports and other auxiliary services.
And, interestingly, Joby, which has a similar agreement with neighbouring Dubai, was also showcasing its eVTOL in Abu Dhabi and may end up operating there as well.
Joby, btw, has completed its pre-production flight testing program. Next stage will already be with production aircraft.
And Regent has also signed agreements with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) and other local authorities to develop a seaglider operation in the Emirate.
The Seaglider developer has also signed a $300 million deal with leasing company MONTE.
In relation to this, check out our recent podcast episode with Billy Thalheimer, founder of Regent.
Change at the helm of Vertical Aerospace, founder Stephen Fitzpatrick steps down for Stuart Simpson to take the reigns.
Beta Technologies managed to fully transition from vertical to horizontal flight on a piloted flight. READ.
The FAA has granted an air corridor in California for MightFly to test its autonomous drones for cargo delivery.
Is Volocopter on the verge of insolvency? Worrying news about cash drying up at the German eVTOL pioneer.
Is Serbia interested in the CityAirbus eVTOL? This is what Serbian aviation portal Tango6 reports. Apparently a Serbian minister said that the country’s government was discussing with Airbus the possible use of this eVTOL during the Belgrade 2027 Expo (link in Serbian language, but Google provides a good translation).
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Microsoft is investing in LanzaJet.
Check the podcast episode we did with LanzaJet’s CEO, Jimmy Samartzis.
Hydrogen Aviation
ZeroAvia is developing new industrial capabilities as it moves towards its goal of being at the center of a sustainable aviation ecosystem. It recently announced the set up of a components factory for fuel cells and electric motors in Washington state.
What else in aviation?
I had the chance to check, first hand, the new Lufthansa Allegris cabin. Pretty amazing. The most distinctive feature is, perhaps, the fact that there are different types of business class seats in the same cabin! CHECK THE PICS.
Reliable Robotics, an autonomous flight startup, is preparing to test its system for aerial refuelling with USAF KC-135 aircraft. Autonomy has, of course, many commercial applications as well, and Reliable Robotics has also signed a deal with logistics and airline group ASL for 30 autonomous flight systems for Cessna 208B Caravan cargo aircraft.
Royal Air Maroc is aiming to order 200 aircraft!
And IndiGo is ordering 30 A350s + 70 options!
Mavi Air, a Turkish operator, has ordered 4 seaplanes from Mallard Enterprises, one of the startups that was present at the recent Future Opportunities for Seaplanes and Amphibious Aviation (FOSAA) conference.