Newsletter #200: A Milestone Edition!
Valo eVTOL. Picture: Vertical Aerospace
Wow! This is the 200th issue of this newsletter! Although its content doesn't differ much from all the previous issues, I am happy to mark such a round number!
This is also the perfect opportunity to ask, learn and improve: what do you like or don’t like about this newsletter? What would you change or improve?
Just reply to this email and let me know your thoughts!
Green Aviation Takes Center Stage
The last few days have again been packed with industry conferences, first it was the Future Aero Festival in Amsterdam (organized by Sustainable Aero Lab), in which I could speak with the head of Embraer-X, the innovation arm of the Brazilian aircraft maker
Future Aero Festival offers glimpse into Embraer's innovation engine
Them, the IATA Media Day in Geneva, in which I could hear the latest sustainability assessment from Willie Walsh and Marie Owen Thomsen directly:
The 2030 goal looks beyond reach: IATA head Willie Walsh slams EU SAF mandates
Nevertheless, it was quite an eventful week when it comes to new aircraft concept announcements in the green aviation space!
EVIO Emerges from Stealth Mode
EVIO, a new 76-100 hybrid-electric aircraft developer based in Canada has come out of stealth mode. And it has done so with a rather big splash, announcing it has already some 450 orders precommitted (200 of which are orders and 250 options) and that it has the backing of Boeing and Pratt & Whitney.
Interestingly, this aircraft seems to be a direct competitor to the Elysian EX9, which we covered in the latest episode of the podcast.
Vertical Aerospace Unveils Valo
Vertical Aerospace presented the Valo, the latest iteration of its eVTOL, a bit larger than the VX4, which is its prototype model (six seats instead of four).
Check out Vertical Aerospace Valo announcement
The British advanced air mobility developer shared also some of the plans it has together with the Bristow Group to operate eVTOLs around London.
In the meantime, Bristow is also testing another new generation green aircraft typ, the BETA ALIA, in Norway and in New Zealand, with the aircraft arriving in Wellington for tests.
French Startups Accelerate Industrial Plans
Two French startups have been moving closer towards realizing their industrial plans:
Beyond Aero, the company developing a hydrogen-electric executive aircraft has shared some details of what is expected to be the company's future manufacturing facility:
Hydrogen-electric aviation moves closer to reality
And Flying Whales have received the official greenlight to start work on its own industrial facility, in this case to make airships. It has announced the news with a nice video-rendering:
Industry Reality Checks
Another critical article about ZeroAvia, suggesting not all is fine with the hydrogen aviation startup (there were quite a few layoffs recently and some voices in the industry are questioning how much cash it really has left):
Boom Supersonic's Surprising Pivot
Boom Supersonic has raised an additional $300M, but what I found even more intriguing is the announcement that it will use ground-based turbines to power datacentres and that this will be an additional line of business. Quite the diversification!
Passenger Experience & Airline Tech
Interesting article by Timothy O'Neil-Dunne (I recommend following him if you are in the airline tech space!) about the (literal) third dimension of the passenger experience:
You sitting comfortably? Here's why
Talking about airline tech, don't miss the Business Breakdowns podcast episode in which they talk about Amadeus to better understand airline distribution:
Industry Health Check
Check out this concise report by McKinsey to check the health of the different subsegments of the commercial aviation industry:
Which aviation subsectors are flying high?
Flight Subscriptions: Lessons Learned
After Ryanair discontinued its subscription product, Caravelo, the main provider of these types of systems globally, has come out with this thorough report about the customer user base for this product and also trying to explain what may have gone wrong in the case of the Irish low-cost giant (h/t Lufthansa Innovation Hub):
What we learned from analyzing 600,000 flight subscriptions
Anecdotally, I can say that when I asked about the performance of subscriptions during a recent Wizz Air event, I received rather positive feedback!
Sustainable aviation fuel
Qatar will invest $200M in a plant to produce SAF in Egypt using waste oil as feedstock.
Around the Industry
Leadership Changes
Quite an unexpected change at the helm of Qatar Airways:
Qatar Airways appoints new CEO
New Aircraft Previews
French media have published the first public photograph of the new Dassault Falcon 10X ahead of its maiden flight:
First glance at Dassault's new Falcon 10X
Airlines That Stopped Flying
As we approach the end of 2025, there have been some updates to the list of airlines that have stopped flying this year:
