America’s eIPP program, eVTOL legal battles & more: industry recap
This week’s edition is packed with eVTOL developments — from the US government formally launching its Advanced Air Mobility pilot programme and the latest on Joby’s certification journey, to a transatlantic legal battle between rivals.
We also cover hybrid-electric propulsion progress, electric taxiing solutions, new advanced air mobility test campaigns, the latest podcast highlights, and a roundup of broader industry news, from airline business models to geopolitical developments.
US Advanced Air Mobility pilot program takes shape
Big news this week in the US Advanced Air Mobility scene with the announcement of the projects and jurisdictions taking part in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which aims to accelerate the path to market of this emerging segment of the industry.
There have been no big surprises when it comes to the companies selected: Archer, Joby, Electra, BETA Technologies, Elroy Air, Reliable Robotics and Wisk. The geographical component of the programme is interesting, with up to 26 of the 50 states being involved in some way.
Joby's certification push — and its finances
One of the eIPP participants is Joby, which is starting the last stage of its certification by test-flying an FAA-conforming aircraft. In case you are wondering how much runway Joby has left to complete the process, the answer is: still quite a lot! You can check the financial results they have recently posted.
Supernal's troubles
Not included in the eIPP is Hyundai's Supernal, which has reportedly laid off most of its staff just a few months after announcing a pause in its eVTOL development efforts. Hard to see how it comes back from this.
Legal battles: Archer vs Vertical / Archer vs Joby
All of this happens while a transatlantic legal fight is going on between Archer and Vertical Aerospace. The former is suing the latter, alleging its latest eVTOL design has infringed its intellectual property.
But this is not the only legal fight Archer has picked this month. The eVTOL developer is also counter-suing its arch-rival Joby, alleging non-disclosed ties to China (something that Joby denies). In fact, it is a counter-suit: Joby had previously sued for allegedly poaching trade secrets through an employee who changed sides.
Electric taxiing: Evolito + Airbus and Green Taxi
British company Evolito is working together with Airbus on developing an electric motor-driven aircraft wheel, with the purpose of electrifying aircraft taxiing at airports. This project, backed by the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute and Innovate UK, sounds very similar to what Green Taxi is doing out of the US.
We actually had Green Taxi’s founder and CEO, David Valaer, on the podcast not long ago, explaining why taxiing is the low-hanging fruit of aviation electrification.
Hybrid-electric propulsion: RTX and AURA AERO
RTX has shared a piece explaining its hybrid-electric propulsion project, which combines a thermal engine from Pratt & Whitney Canada running in parallel with an electric motor made by Collins Aerospace, together producing around 2 MW of power during high-demand phases like take-off. During cruise or landing it would rely on just 1 MW from the thermal system.
This system also incorporates a 200 kWh battery made by H55 — a Swiss startup which was also on the pod in the early days! What I didn’t know is that RTX is an investor in H55 through its VC arm. 🤝
One company also active in the hybrid-electric space is Aura Aero. The French startup has received the first firm order for its future 19-seater regional aircraft, the ERA, from a fellow French executive aviation operator.
Testing on the move: Flynow in Riyadh and REGENT in Rhode Island
Another company that has been on the podcast, Flynow, also has news. The Austrian company — which also has a Saudi foothold — will soon start testing its capsule-like eCopter at a test range near Riyadh. So far the aircraft had been fly-tested in Austria. Catch up with the Flynow podcast episode if you missed it.
REGENT, the wing-in-ground Seaglider developer, is also gearing up for a new test campaign at its base in Rhode Island. In the meantime, it has also secured an order for 10 Viceroy Seagliders from Brazil’s Synerjet.
New on the podcast: Wingbits
We had Alex Lungu on the podcast. Alex is the co-founder and CEO of Wingbits, a new-generation flight tracking app.
Wingbits aims to disrupt a space that has so far been dominated by FlightRadar24, by allowing contributors to monetize their tracking stations, among other things.
eMobility World Congress
The eMobility World Congress in Málaga offered a glimpse of the status of several advanced air mobility projects in Spain, such as Dovetail (whose founder is a former podcast guest), autogyro producer ELA Aviación, and the local projects of EHang. Read our full recap here.
Japan Airlines new $50M Silicon Valley venture fund
Japan Airlines has established its own US$50M venture fund, which will be based in Silicon Valley.
How much do airlines actually make per flight?
Interesting dissection of the financial model of the airline industry by McKinsey. How much do airlines make per flight?
Two CEO interviews on Executive Spotlight
One covers the state of the inflight entertainment (IFE) industry in the Starlink era, with the CEO of Panasonic Avionics, the market leader in this field.
The other is with the CEO of Vienna Airport, a rather interesting European hub.
Aviation geopolitics
The industry news continues to be dominated, sadly, by the conflict in the Middle East. Bahrain managed to evacuate most of Gulf Air’s fleet — plus some other aircraft that had remained stranded on the island — in one single sweep.
On a more positive note, Turkish Airlines launched a direct service between Istanbul and Yerevan, signalling the consolidation of the thaw between the two countries.
