This week in aviation innovation: oneworld's $150M SAF fund,Vertical Aerospace optimistic outlook & more
H55-powered Bristell 23 Energic
Let’s start the aviation innovation and sustainability news round up with Electric Aviation:
Swiss H55 Plants Roots in North America
Swiss electric aviation startup H55 has opened its battery pack plant in Québec to supply North American customers. The company has already sold around 100 units of its electric powertrain for installation on the Czech-made Bristell B23 Energic light aircraft.
Read more about H55's expansion
Earlier this summer, Bristell also received an EU grant to continue its work on the Energic electric aircraft. LinkedIn update
Cosmic Aerospace Takes Flight with 24-Passenger Vision
Belgian startup Cosmic Aerospace successfully completed the first demo flight of a subscale prototype for its electric regional airliner, designed for up to 24 passengers with a 1,000km range.
Vaeridion Inherits Lilium's Legacy Facilities
Electric aircraft startup Vaeridion is taking over part of Lilium's former facilities at Oberpfaffenhofen airport near Munich, securing a battery manufacturing facility ahead of its first flight.
Delta Backs Munich-Based Hybrid Pioneer
Munich-based electric hybrid aviation startup Maeve, which has Dutch roots, has received investment from Delta Air Lines to support its hybrid-electric airliner development. Here is the Investment announcement
Btw, Delta's Chief Sustainability Officer, Amelia DeLuca, was also featured on the podcast!
SAF Corner
South Korea Introduces SAF Mandates with Incentive Package
South Korea has introduced legislation to increase SAF use, including the country's first SAF mandates. While using a relatively lax definition of SAF, the initiative includes tax credits and route allocation preferences for operators meeting or surpassing adoption targets.
oneworld and BEV Launch $150M SAF Investment Fund
oneworld has established a $150 million investment fund with Breakthrough Energy Ventures to invest in SAF technologies. The initiative is led by Alaska Airlines and American Airlines and is also backed by fellow oneworld partners IAG, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, as well as Star Alliance member Singapore Airlines.
Leasing Companies Get Carbon Intensity Report Card
French tech company Estuaire, which helps airlines optimize emissions, has released a report on the carbon intensity of aircraft leasing companies in partnership with Airline Economics—significant since leasing fleets represent almost half of the total aircraft market.
Advanced Air Mobility news
Vertical Aerospace Charts Ambitious Path to 2028 Certification
Vertical Aerospace pledged further investment to expand manufacturing capacity for VX4 aircraft and batteries at its western England facilities.
The company quantified $700 million as needed for 2028 certification and revised upward its 2030 delivery expectations from 150 to 175 aircraft annually. Vertical has also completed wingborne flight testing, with transition flight testing (from vertical to horizontal flight mode) coming up next.
Manufacturing expansion details
To learn more about Vertical Aerospace, check out the podcast episode with CTO Michael Cervenka!
GE Aerospace Makes $300M Bet on BETA Technologies
GE Aerospace is investing $300 million in BETA Technologies, signaling the confidence of some major industry players in the eVTOL developer's hybrid, CTOL-first approach.
Joby Integrates eVTOL Rides into Uber App
After acquiring BLADE, Joby announced that eVTOL rides will be integrated into the Uber app, building on the companies' close relationship since Joby’s acquisition, in 2021, of Uber's air mobility division, which was somehow dormant at the time.
UK CAA Issues Comprehensive eVTOL Safety Report
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority published a thorough technical report on safety aspects of expected eVTOL operations, identifying several areas where protocols need upgrading.
Industry Setbacks: Supernal Pauses, XPeng Crashes
Supernal (Hyundai's eVTOL arm) paused development following management changes, while XPeng received UAE testing permission for its modular car+aircraft concept but, just days later, it suffered a crash during a China demo flight.
Supernal pause | XPeng UAE testing | XPeng crash incident
Wisk Partners with California City for eVTOL Infrastructure
Wisk is collaborating with Fullerton, California (LA area) to evaluate eVTOL flight potential and infrastructure investment needs. The key challenge remains how passenger-carrying autonomous aircraft will integrate into existing regulatory frameworks.
Featured Podcast Episode
EVE Air Mobility's Commercial Strategy with Megha Bhatia
Chief Commercial Officer Megha Bhatia discusses EVE's unique position as Embraer's eVTOL arm, the relationship between both companies, current project status, and future milestones. Don't miss this insightful conversation!
Other aviation innovation and sustainability news
Airbus Completes eXtra Performance Wing Demo
Airbus has finished assembly of its eXtra Performance Wing demonstrator, advancing aerodynamic efficiency research.
Otto Aviation Rebrands as Otto Aerospace
Otto Aviation has just rebranded as Otto Aerospace, marking a new chapter for the company's innovative aircraft development programs.
Otto’s COO, Scott Drennan, was recently on the podcast, as well, talking about this truly original clean sheet aircraft project.
WHAT ELSE IN AVIATION?
Delta Celebrates Century of Flight with Documentary
Delta Air Lines marks its 100th anniversary with a 45-minute documentary that premiered in September and is now available online.
Rolls-Royce Retires "Hefty Bee" Flying Testbed
After 20 years of service, Rolls-Royce retired its B747-200 "Hefty Bee" flying testbed, which was used until July to test future engines in real flight conditions.
Spain Unveils €13B Airport Expansion Plan
The Spanish government approved a massive €13 billion airport expansion plan featuring multi-billion euro investments in Barcelona and Madrid airports, plus several tourist destination airports. Airport investment details
Taking with Turkish Airlines’ Chairman
Turkish Airlines launched new service to Sevilla, with Chairman Ahmet Bolat discussing investment in Air Europa and Spanish market expansion plans.
Ahmet Bolat, Turkish Airlines’ Chairman, in Seville on September 17, 2025
IndiGo Spreads Wings to Europe
IndiGo is materializing its European expansion with confirmed new routes to Athens (using A321XLR) and Copenhagen, marking significant growth in long-haul operations.
Austrian Airlines' Creative Capacity Strategy
Austrian Airlines is running an innovative experiment, deploying A320s on the Vienna-Dubai route with competitive pricing during European winter months when short-haul demand is lowest.
