The agency announced it has selected study proposals from SpaceWorks Enterprises and Stratolaunch as part of its Hypersonic Technology Project. The six-month awards total $1.7 million and focus on how existing vehicles could be adapted to support higher-cadence hypersonic flight tests in the future. 

Rather than pushing new experimental aircraft concepts, NASA is targeting a practical problem. Hypersonic research still relies heavily on wind tunnels and short-duration ground tests, which cannot fully replicate the heat, pressure, and airflow seen in real flight. Actual flight testing remains rare, expensive, and slow, creating a bottleneck that has limited progress for decades. 

NASA now wants to ease that barrier. The agency’s focus is on “airbreathing” hypersonic vehicles, which use atmospheric oxygen rather than relying on rockets. Airbreathing designs promise longer endurance and reusability, but they are also harder to test, researchers say. Sustained hypersonic flight exposes vehicles to extreme thermal and structural loads that are difficult to model without real-world data. 

The two studies aim to explore how commercially developed platforms might help bridge the gap between laboratory testing and full-scale flight programs. SpaceWorks will examine research using its X-60 platform, while Stratolaunch will focus on its Talon-A hypersonic test vehicle, which is designed to be air-launched from the company’s massive carrier aircraft. 

NASA officials say the goal is not to field an operational vehicle, but to define what kind of flight-test infrastructure would make hypersonic development more predictable and affordable. That includes assessing cost, schedules, and how frequently test flights could realistically occur. 

In practical terms, the awards signal that NASA is looking beyond one-off demonstration flights. Instead, the agency wants repeatable access to hypersonic flight conditions, similar to how subsonic and supersonic aircraft testing became more routine over time. 

The work could also feed into a future NASA initiative known as Making Advancements in Commercial Hypersonics, or MACH. While still conceptual, MACH would focus on supporting commercial hypersonic development by helping industry overcome testing and infrastructure hurdles rather than designing government-owned aircraft. 

The dollar amounts attached to the current awards are relatively small by aerospace standards, but the intent is clear. NASA is positioning itself as an enabler, working with industry to lower barriers that have kept hypersonic flight largely confined to military and experimental programs. 

The tests, conducted at GE’s Peebles Test Operation in Ohio, used a modified Passport engine and were carried out under a NASA-supported research effort known as the Turbofan Engine Power Extraction Demonstration project. The work focused on how electrical systems can be integrated directly into a high-bypass turbofan, rather than testing standalone components in isolation. 

According to GE Aerospace, the ground campaign successfully demonstrated the ability to extract power from the engine, transfer it through electrical systems, and inject power back into the propulsion system while maintaining stable operation. Engineers also evaluated how electric motor-generators could be embedded within the gas turbine itself, allowing the engine to operate with or without onboard energy storage. 

NASA officials said the test provided rare insight into how a hybrid electric system behaves as a complete engine architecture, not just as a collection of parts.  
 
“Turbines already exist. Compressors already exist,” said Anthony Nerone, project manager at NASA Glenn Research Center. “But there is no hybrid-electric engine flying today. And that’s what we were able to see.” 

GE Aerospace said the results met or exceeded technical benchmarks established by NASA, including targets tied to fuel efficiency and power requirements for future single-aisle aircraft.  
 
The company emphasized that the architecture demonstrated during the test does not rely on batteries to function, a key distinction as manufacturers consider weight, complexity, and certification challenges tied to large onboard energy storage systems. 

The hybrid electric turbofan work feeds into CFM International’s Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines, or RISE, technology program, which targets more than a 20% reduction in fuel burn compared with today’s in-service engines through new architectures, materials, and increased electrical integration.  
 
CFM International is a 50-50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines, and the results of GE’s ground testing are intended to help mature next-generation narrowbody propulsion concepts for eventual commercial use. 

Since its launch in 2021, the RISE program has accumulated hundreds of tests and thousands of endurance cycles, including work on open-fan engines, compact cores, and hybrid electric systems. While none of these technologies represent a certified product yet, CFM has said it expects ground and flight testing to continue through the decade as the concepts mature. 

Hybrid electric propulsion has long been viewed as a potential bridge between conventional gas turbines and more radical future concepts, such as hydrogen or fully electric aircraft. Rather than replacing the turbofan, the approach focuses on using electric machines to supplement power during specific phases of flight, improve efficiency, and reduce fuel burn without abandoning proven engine designs. 

GE Aerospace said the latest test milestone helps narrow the gap between research and real-world application. While significant certification, durability, and integration hurdles remain, the company framed the demonstration as evidence that hybrid electric propulsion can move beyond theory and into practical engine architectures suitable for narrowbody aircraft. 

The terms of this latest funding round, in which institutional investors such as Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Valor Equity Partners and Tiger Global have taken part, set the valuation of the drone logistics firm at $7.6 billion. 

Zipline is a pioneer in autonomous logistics by air, providing last mile delivery services by drone in several US metropolitan areas, as well as internationally. In countries like Rwanda, for example, Zipline has been operating for years a service to deliver blood and medical supplies to hospitals. 

In the US, the scope of Zipline’s operation is broader, and in addition to medical supplies it also includes the nearly immediate delivery of food and shopping orders for consumers. The median delivery time for an order in the US is about 3 minutes, according to the company. 

The freshly raised funds will be used to further Zipline’s expansion in the United States, with Houston and Phoenix being the next two focus cities where Zipline will roll out its services. 

In the press release announcing the company’s plans, Keller Cliffton, Zipline’s CEO and co-founder stated that he has he sees 2026 as a pivotal year in which autonomous drone delivery will become a mainstream technology: 

“In 2026 autonomous logistics will become an everyday staple for people across several states in the U.S. That transformation starts with Houston and my home town of Phoenix, which we’ll begin serving early this year, and then expand to even more places across the country throughout the year.” he stated. 

To highlight this point, Zipline shared the fact that it has already reached the two million delivery milestone, with some other indicators pointing towards an acceleration of the rate of adoption of this new modality of logistics. 

In the third quarter of 2025, for example, Zipline reached its own delivery goals 6 weeks early, and it also overshot its daily delivery goal by 30%, with no signs of this trend abating.  

The company pointed out that it is now seeing 15% week-on-week growth. While it took 10 weeks to reach 100 deliveries when it first started offering its services in an urban area, in Dallas, Texas, it now takes about two days to hit this number when entering a new market. 

Founded in 2014, Zipline has so far kept its first mover advantage in a market which has attracted the attention of some pretty large competitors. These include Amazon and Wing, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, which has a drone delivery partnership in place with retail giant Wal Mart.

In practice, this means that the nine-seater EL9 aircraft being developed by Electra will be able to operate from surfaces as smaller than the typical supermarket parking lot. This opens up a number of interesting use cases, both in the civilian and military worlds. 

And while Electra is still some way off obtaining a type certification for its novel aircraft, it has in fact it just filed for Part 23 certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). However, Electra has already been testing a smaller-scale two-seater demonstrator called EL2 ‘Goldfinch’ successfully near its base in Manassas, Virginia. 

This effort hasn’t gone unnoticed within the industry, and Electra has already collected pre-orders or Letters of Intent (LoI) from over 60 (future) customers.  

One of them is Bristow Group, which is, interestingly, first and foremost a helicopter operator. This choice, with Bristow Group even placing a multi-million-dollar pre-delivery deposit to secure the first delivery slot, underpins Electra’s claim that, with its ultra-STOL capabilities, the EL9 will be able to fulfill some missions that are currently reserved to rotary wing aircraft. 

AeroTime met with Diana Siegel, VP Commercial at Electra, during the CAPA Airline Leader Summit World, which took place in Lisbon in December 2025, in order to learn more about this unique approach to regional air mobility.

Watch it in the video below:

The deal, which is aimed primarily at the low-cost and ultra-low-cost airline market, brings together the core competencies of all three firms: Immfly’s expertise in the provision of entertainment and retail services onboard passenger aircraft; Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO satellite constellation; and Gogo’s next-generation electronically steered antenna technology. 

According to Immfly, a full installation on a narrow-body aircraft can be completed within 24 – 30 hours. This process involves fitting the aircraft with an Immfly’s Equilux Aero server and Gogo’s Plane Simple electronically steered antenna (ESA). 

In addition to connecting to Eutelsat’s OneWeb constellation, airlines installing this system will also be able to access Immfly’s integrated digital ecosystem, which includes entertainment and retail offerings. 

“Narrowbody aircraft remain disconnected, and we’re bringing them into the digital era through Eutelsat’s OneWeb high-speed LEO connectivity services and Gogo ESA hardware, enabling ancillary revenue growth, streamlining operations, and providing passengers with connectivity on par with their ground experiences.” stated Jimmy M. von Korff, Executive Chairman and co-founder of Immfly, in the press release announcing the partnership. 

The advent of LEO satellite technology, spearheaded by SpaceX’s Starlink, has sparked a competitive race across the airline industry to offer passengers with high-speed and low-latency broadband at very low prices or, in many cases, even for free.  

Immfly, which is currently accepting requests for pilot programs, plans to launch the service before the end of 2026.

At the same time, Archer, like several of its competitors in the advanced air mobility (AAM) space, took firm steps to strengthen its position in the defense segment. The company built upon the December 2024 launch of its defense division by signing a partnership with Anduril, one of the most prominent players in the new defense tech ecosystem. 

Archer has also reinforced its commitment to Abu Dhabi as a likely location for launching its Midnight eVTOL pending certification. It is precisely in the United Arab Emirates that AeroTime had the chance to speak with Nikhil Goel, Archer’s Chief Commercial Officer.  

“We’ve been focusing on three or four core areas,” Goel said. “The first one has been flight tests. We’re nearing the final stages of our CTOL [conventional takeoff and landing] test campaign in the United States. We started with our VTOL [vertical takeoff and landing flight test campaign with our autonomous aircraft, and between that and our first CTOL aircraft, we have performed over 500 flight tests last year.”  

“So, we’ve been continuing to accelerate this flight test campaign and that’s been going really well,” Goel added.“ We’re doing that in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, and we’ve been really lucky to have received really deep engagement from the FAA, even throughout the US government shutdown, which is now over, as we have continued our flight test campaign and our certification work.”  

Goel also said that Archer is really pleased with the progress being made in the US, particularly when it comes to the launch of the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Integration Pilot Program, also known as eIPP. 

Archer is one of five projects that will participate in the initiative launched earlier in 2025 by the Trump administration, which aims to nurture the nascent advanced air mobility technology in the US and accelerate its rollout. Goel stated that he expects this integration pilot program to facilitate the launch of electric air taxis in the US airspace by mid-2026. 

“What that does is a few things,” he said. “It really unlocks our ability to start flying in more visible ways, and I think it’s going to also have a profoundly accelerating effect on the overall regulatory landscape.” 

He added: “We’re going to work really closely with the FAA and the Department of Transportation, and I think that the benefits of that are going to resonate all over the world. We’ve already started to see that here in the UAE, with the GCA [the UAE aviation authority – ed. note], the focus is largely similar,” Goel continued. 

At this point, Goel added the caveat that the aforementioned “mid-next year” scenario would still be pre-certification and refers to flights conducted under the pilot flight program, not regular commercial flights. These test flights, Goel said, will help Archer gain experience in real urban environments and pick its final markets.  

Investing in Abu Dhabi 

When it comes to the UAE, Goel explained that after bringing the first aircraft to the country in the summer of 2025, the focus during the second half of 2025 has been on hot weather testing and slowly ramping up the flight envelope. 

Goel referenced the fact that Archer has already conducted some demonstration flights in Abu Dhabi. 

“That was really important for us because we showcased operating at one of the busiest airports in the country and over one of the big national landmarks [Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Grand Mosque – ed. note] in front of a bunch of VIPs, partners, and government officials that we work with here.”  

Archer has also been testing its eVTOL in Al Ain, a city located around 100 miles east of Abu Dhabi,  subjecting the aircraft to hot and sandy desert conditions. 

“The good news is our technical teams and our flight test teams have been really satisfied with the aircraft’s performance here in the UAE,” Goel said, “and that is giving us the confidence to bring additional aircraft here to the country next year and ultimately put passengers in those aircraft.”  

So, what is the expected timeframe for hypothetical UAE certification?  

“We have not publicized a specific timeline. I think the GCA has previously spoken about different timelines that they’re on for next year,” Goel said. “Our focus is on operating as frequently as we can, as safely as we can, and the GCA has been an incredible partner in that.”  

“They’ve spent a lot of time in our offices,” he continued. “We’ve spent a lot of time in their offices, bringing our full technical teams, our operational teams and our flight test teams here to the country, and I think it’s one of the most special collaborations we have anywhere in the world.” 

Archer’s plans in the UAE go beyond being just an operator. Goel also elaborated on the firm’s industrial plans for Abu Dhabi. 

“The agreement we have the Abu Dhabi Investment Office envisions continuing to help build the talent base here over time, help bring technology to the country as well,” he said. “And then, what that has done is really catalyze demand from all over the region. So, some of the largest countries across the Middle East have come to us and said, ‘hey, what you guys are doing Abu Dhabi is special. We want to bring that to our cities and to our countries as well’. We have opened up our office here and have started to hire local talent, both on the operations side and engineering sides.”  

Collaboration with Anduril and EDGE Group 

At the 2025 edition of the Dubai Airshow, Archer announced a partnership with Anduril by which it will supply its proprietary electric powertrain for ‘Omen’, a military hover-to-cruise autonomous air vehicle which Anduril is developing together with UAE defense company EDGE Group. 

“These are parallel efforts. We’ve been working with the US armed forces for quite a bit. With the Air Force, we participated in a number of research projects with them to be able to showcase the benefits of this electric air taxi technology,” Goel explained. “We announced a landmark partnership with Anduril, which is one of the leading defense tech companies in the world, founded by a very visionary entrepreneur. What we announced was a project to take our proprietary technologies and jointly develop a new aircraft.”  

This new aircraft will be hybrid-electric, autonomous and replace legacy technologies developed in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, Goel affirmed, specifically naming the Apache and Blackhawk helicopters, which are currently two mainstays of the US helicopter fleet. 

Asked about what this new aircraft would look like and whether it would be significantly different from the aircraft Archer is currently testing, Goel stated that it will leverage aspects of the company’s proprietary powertrain solution and other pieces of the Archer tech stack.  

“That same team is building a variant of the aircraft that is going to be jointly designed with Anduril,” he added. “But will focus on the operational needs of the customers.” 

Goel said that Archer hasn’t publicized the exact missions this new aircraft will fulfill, but he did offer hints about some of its key selling points for military applications. 

“First, it’s going to be hybrid-electric, so what that allows us to do is maintain a low thermal and acoustic signature, which is really important if you think about some of the deterrence efforts that we have towards our enemies,” he explained “Second, because of that hybrid electric powertrain, it’s going to be able to have significantly longer range and higher payload than our Midnight aircraft [Archer’s original battery-electric eVTOL model –  ed. note], and that’s going to start to fit some of these use cases that are really important to our customers all over the world.” 

So, what is unique about Omen? And what does Archer bring to the partnership? 

“What Palmer Luckey and Shannon Arnott and the team at Anduril have designed is very unique, allowing you to take off and land from anywhere,” Goel said. “They’ve been working on this project for five years. One of the blockers was around the powertrain technology and, through this tie up with Archer, we concluded that you could take the battery propulsion technology from Midnight and have a bit plug and play with it.” 

Goel also highlighted the participation of EDGE Group, which strengthens the company’s strategic footprint in the UAE.   

“So, we started working on that project, and we were really proud to be able to not just build that with Anduril, but also with EDGE Group, which is a leading defense company here in the UAE,” he said. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to continue that partnership here in the UAE. What that does for Archer is it opens a new business line. We can then take that powertrain technology and bring it to next generation civil and defense customers.” 

This line of business is also attractive to Archer as it has a more flexible path to market because defense customers are not encumbered by the same regulatory obstacles as those in civilian aviation. 

“Defense is pretty independent. You don’t require FAA certification for defense work, and those customers are on different timetables from a purchasing standpoint,” Goel said. “I just think of them as two very different lines of business. Both have massive opportunities, and they’re both on their independent timelines with independent stakeholders.”  

Los Angeles as Archer’s focus market 

There was also time to discuss one of Archer’s flagship projects: the acquisition of Hawthorne Airport, in the Greater LA area, a city in which it is also expected to play a prominent role in 2028 as official air mobility partner of the 2028 Summer Olympics. 

“We’ve talked about a number of markets in the US: San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. All three of those are going to be phenomenal markets. Los Angeles is special in a few ways. It is by far one of the most congested cities in the world; it’s incredibly complex, and it’s incredibly sprawling. It can take two hours or even longer to drive from one end to the other of LA,” Goel explained, before going on to compare distances within LA to those found within the major centers of population in the UAE, such as Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah.  

“Our view is that if you learn to operate in the Los Angeles airspace and serve those routes, you can then scale across the US,” he continued. “The second is that LA is going to be home to some of the most iconic events over the next several years: the World Cup, the Super Bowl, and then, of course, the Olympics in 2028. We were chosen to be the exclusive air taxi partner for the Olympics and that’s really given us not just a local mandate, but a national mandate to make sure that we can be prepared for the safe and efficient transportation for VIPs, athletes, and emergencies during the Olympic Games. That’s something we’ve been really, really focused on.” 

While clarifying that Hawthorne Airport will remain a municipal property following its acquisition, Goel revealed that it will be managed by Archer.  

“It’s the key airport in the city. It’s located right in the heart of Los Angeles, next to Space X, next to LAX airport, next to SoFi stadium,” he said. “And we are excited to make that the control center for the Olympics too.”  

The terms of the agreement, which was signed by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and Archer Founder and CEO Adam Goldstein during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, envisage a broad-ranging partnership between the Serbian state and the Californian eVTOL company.  

Archer’s Midnight eVTOL will be showcased at Expo 2027 and the Serbian government will have the option to purchase up to 25 units of this type of aircraft. 

Although the agreement refers to Archer as the Expo’s preferred air taxi partner, the extent of Archer’s operations during the event is still unclear, and it is not yet known if eVTOL services will be offered.  

The Expo 2025 Osaka provides a recent precedent of collaboration between the eVTOL industry and a major international exhibition. On that occasion, a dedicated Advanced Air Mobility Pavilion provided an overview of several eVTOL platforms. However, and despite initial expectations of a regular air taxi service, the flight program was limited to a handful of demonstration flights conducted by Joby Aviation and Japanese eVTOL developers HEXA and SkyDrive. 

In addition to the flight operations, Archer is also interested in Serbia as a potential supplier of materials for its supply chain. In this regard, the US firm mentioned that it is in talks with the Serbian government and is exploring opportunities to collaborate in the sourcing of rare earth magnets and critical minerals to be used in batteries.  

Serbian interest in Archer is not new. In January 2025, Serbian aviation news outlet Tango Six reported that the Balkan country had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the World Economic Forum (WEF), to acquire at least three Midnight aircraft.

In conversation with AeroTime, the CEOs of both companies, Eric Lithun of Elfly and Edward Wegel of UrbanLink, said the all-electric technology being built by the Norwegian will be ideal for the operational conditions of Florida. 

While Lithun mentioned the year-round favorable weather conditions, Wegel highlighted the very low environmental impact of electric aviation – and not just on the emissions front. Traditional aviation, Lithun said, represents a very real contamination risk for fragile tropical natural habitats, through fuel and oil leaks and noise pollution. In an all-electric aircraft like the NOEMI, these factors are reduced to practically zero.  

Potential markets for the NOEMI in North America 

When it comes to the business case, UrbanLink is eyeing primarily the intra-Florida market, with the possibility of linking Miami to nearby Caribbean markets, such as the Bahamas. The idea is to link some of the state’s key transport and vacation hubs with each other, such as Miami International Airport (MIA), Palm Beach, and the large cruise ship terminals at Port Miami and Port Canaveral. 

UrbanLink is also working with the main cruise operators to offer links between South Florida and the private islands many of them operate in the Bahama keys. These would not only carry leisure passengers, but also staff and supplies. 

Wegel also stated that UrbanLink is interested in a longer-range version of the NOEMI that could potentially reach places in upstate Florida, such as Jacksonville.  

Regarding this suggestion, Lithun said: “At the moment our business proposition is based on an aircraft with a 200km range. A longer range is feasible, but we prefer to under promise and overdeliver.”  

It is worth noting that UrbanLink also has a leasing agreement in place for 10 units of the eVTOL version of the BETA Technologies ALIA CX300 all-electric aircraft and is also in conversation with REGENT with the view of deploying the electric Seaglider wing-in-ground vehicle on coastal routes. 

UrbanLink’s Wegel explained that he views all of these types of aircraft, including the NOEMI, as complementary to one another for different types of missions. He used Uber as a benchmark to illustrate the type of market UrbanLink is addressing. In this regard, Wegel noted that with electric aviation it will be possible to operate between Miami International and Palm Beach, a distance of around 70 miles, at prices that are competitive with the popular ride-hailing service. 

If successful, Wegel sees demand surging across the Caribbean, with UrbanLink already assessing opportunities in places such as Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands. If political circumstances change, he stated, even Cuba could become a suitable market. 

The road ahead 

This was not the only time that geopolitics came up during the conversation. The deal has been announced at a time when the rift between the US and Europe regarding the future of Greenland appears to be getting worse, placing the Nordic countries in a particularly tight spot.   

Elfly’s Norwegian founder appeared undaunted by the situation, noting the long history of collaboration between the US and Europe, He also referred to the impossibility of conditioning long-term planning, such as that required by novel forms of electric aviation, to the rollercoaster of daily politics.  

No specific timeframe has been given for the delivery of these aircraft, although Lithun reiterated his goal of bringing the aircraft into service by 2030. The delivery calendar will, in any case, be dependent on Elfly obtaining type certificate for the NOEMI amphibious aircraft.

The two jets have been transferred to NASA after having been retired from service by the United States Air Force (USAF) and arriving at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California on December 22, 2025. 

Prior to their retirement and repurposing as research aircraft, the two F-15s served in the Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing, based at Kingsley Field airbase, Oregon. 

NASA has operated F-15s for research purposes since 1976, when it obtained its first pair of F-15As. Three other aircraft of this type (two F-15Bs and one F-15D) were also obtained by the US space agency in later years, with two of them still reportedly active as of late 2025. 

The F-15 is particularly well suited for this type of research mission because of its capability to operate at high speeds and altitudes. For example, it enables NASA to conduct flight tests at up to 60,000 feet. This is higher than the planned flight envelope (55,000 feet) of the X-59, the agency’s new experimental aircraft, which is about to start its flight test program. 

The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, a program intended to advance supersonic flight research, particularly in the field of low-boom supersonic flight.  

This promising technology – on which several private startups such as Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are also working – aims to mitigate the sonic boom produced when crossing the sound barrier. If this technology can be rolled out at scale, it would facilitate the launch of commercial supersonic services over land. 

Renewed interest in supersonic travel in the US has been reflected in legislative proposals to relax the supersonic flight restrictions, plus the issuance by President Trump in June 2025, of an Executive Order setting the grounds for the comeback of civilian supersonic flight. 

Another feature that makes the F-15 a platform of choice for this type of research is its high ground clearance and capacity to carry heavy payloads, which allows scientists to fit it with a broad range of sensors and equipment, under the wings and the central part of the fuselage. Researchers at NASA will also be able to modify and customize the aircraft’s electronic and software systems in order to suit the aircraft’s new missions. 

This latest round has been led by investment firm B Capital, with the investment arms of several major industry players, such as United Airlines Ventures, Northrop Grumman and RTX Ventures, also taking part. Other investors in this round include 3M Ventures and Trucks VC. 

The fresh round brings the total of capital raised by JetZero close to half a billion dollars. In 2023, JetZero closed a Series A round for an undisclosed amount and was also allocated $235 million by the US Department of Defense to be used within a period of four years. 

JetZero also claims to have received more than $1 billion worth of aircraft pre-orders and options, including from airlines such as United Airlines and Alaska Airlines.  

The company aims to continue investing in the development of a blended-wing body (BWB) demonstrator and has reaffirmed its commitment to performing its maiden flight before the end of 2027.  

While conventionally powered, the blended-wing body architecture could deliver efficiency gains of 30 to 50%, according to its proponents, and could also represent a revolution in terms of passenger experience.

The test was conducted over Pennsylvania using a Cessna Caravan single-engine turboprop flying at about 15,000 feet in challenging weather conditions, including 70-knot crosswinds. Despite the strong winds and turbulence, the system maintained alignment long enough to deliver a small but measurable amount of power to ground-based receivers, validating the ability to transmit energy optically from a moving source.  

The demonstration was carried out by Overview Energy, a Virginia-based startup that emerged late in 2025. While the amount of power transmitted during the test was modest, the company said the flight was designed to validate the core components and control systems it plans to use for a much larger goal: beaming solar energy from space back to Earth.  

Space-based solar power

Overview’s approach differs from earlier space-based solar concepts that relied on microwave transmission. Instead, the company is developing a system that converts solar energy into near-infrared light, which is then transmitted in a wide, low-density beam to the surface. The energy can be received by conventional photovoltaic panels, theoretically allowing existing solar farms to accept power beamed from orbit in addition to sunlight.  

The airborne test addressed one of the most difficult challenges facing any power-beaming system: maintaining precise pointing and alignment between a moving transmitter and a fixed receiver. From a technical standpoint, the problem closely resembles what a satellite would face when transmitting energy to a specific location on Earth from orbit, while compensating for motion, atmospheric effects, and platform vibration.  

The researchers say aviation offers a uniquely practical environment for that kind of validation. Aircraft introduce real-world variables such as turbulence, crosswinds, vibration, and limited payload margins, making them a useful stand-in for orbital platforms without the cost and complexity of a space launch. By proving the system works in flight, Overview argues it has cleared a key technical hurdle on the path toward space-based demonstrations.

Interest in wireless power transmission has grown steadily over the past decade, with defense agencies and academic institutions exploring applications ranging from remote sensing to forward-deployed military operations. In 2025, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency set a record by transmitting 800 watts of power over more than eight kilometers using a laser-based system, though that test involved stationary platforms.  

How the technology works

For the tests, conducted in November 2025, Overview says it used the same optical architecture it intends to scale for space, rather than a simplified laboratory setup.  
 
The airborne demonstration was part of a multi-flight test campaign designed to move the technology out of the laboratory and into real-world operating conditions. Overview Energy said it installed its laser and optical transmission system aboard the Cessna Caravan and flew at altitudes above 5,000 meters. On the ground, the company deployed a receiver made up of conventional photovoltaic panels similar to those used in residential and utility-scale solar installations. As the aircraft passed overhead, the system identified the receiver, locked onto it, and transmitted power via a low-density, eye-safe infrared beam, which the panels converted into electricity in the same way they convert sunlight.

According to the company, the test validated the ability to maintain precise beam alignment from a moving platform despite turbulence and aircraft motion, conditions that introduce greater pointing challenges than a satellite in orbit. Overview said the airborne setup used the same laser, optical tracking, and beam-combining architecture planned for future space systems, with batteries and onboard thermal management standing in for solar arrays and radiators that would be used in orbit. The company characterized the flight as the final proof-of-concept step ahead of a planned low Earth orbit demonstration.

Ambitious timeline

Still, significant questions remain. Space-based solar power faces steep economic and regulatory challenges, including launch costs, orbital debris risk, atmospheric losses, and the complexity of transmitting energy safely at scale. While infrared transmission avoids some of the spectrum allocation issues associated with microwaves, regulators would still need to address safety standards, airspace considerations, and environmental impacts before any large-scale deployment could move forward.

Overview’s public roadmap calls for a low Earth orbit demonstration later this decade, followed by geosynchronous satellites capable of delivering megawatts of continuous power. Those timelines are ambitious, and scaling from a brief airborne test to sustained orbital power delivery will require major advances in efficiency, mass reduction, and cost control.  

For now, the aircraft demonstration represents a tangible milestone rather than a commercial breakthrough. It shows that wireless power transmission from a moving platform is technically feasible, and it highlights aviation’s growing role as a bridge between experimental space technologies and real-world validation.

The initial test flight took place from an airfield in Shaanxi Province on January 10, 2025.
The Tianma-1000 is being developed by Xi’an Aisheng Technology Group, a subsidiary of China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco), one of China’s largest defense conglomerates.

State media describe the platform as a ton-class unmanned transport aircraft designed for logistics, emergency relief, and deliveries to remote areas. The UAV is reported to have a payload capacity of roughly one metric ton, a maximum operating altitude of around 8,000 meters, and a range of approximately 1,800 kilometers. This capacity allows it to transport commercial goods as well as emergency supplies and relief equipment during disaster response missions in China.

Developers say the aircraft uses autonomous flight control systems and can operate with minimal ground support. Chinese media reports also highlight claimed efficiency features, including simplified loading and unloading and automated mission planning, though these have not been independently verified.

While China has developed numerous UAV types over the past two decades for both civilian and military use, the Tianma-1000 represents an effort to scale unmanned cargo operations into the ton-class segment. The platform is being positioned primarily for commercial logistics and government support missions rather than as an armed UAV.

The first flight comes amid growing interest in unmanned cargo aircraft globally, with several programs underway in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East targeting similar mission profiles ranging from e-commerce logistics to ship-to-shore resupply and disaster relief.

This advanced software platform uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help pilots and operators assess the operational circumstances and take the right decisions in safety-critical environments. 

NVIDIA’s IGX Thor is the most powerful safety-capable AI computing module currently offered by the technology giant. 

By integrating it into future iterations of the Midnight eVTOL and its own proprietary flight management systems, Archer Aviation aims to leverage this platform’s ability to sense the aircraft’s environment and process flight-path data in real time. This will facilitate the tasks of the pilots and smooth operations in airspaces which are expected to become increasingly crowded and complex to manage.  

What’s more, this technology has many of the ingredients necessary for a transition to autonomous and semi-autonomous operations in the future. 

Hawthorne airport (HHR), in the Greater Los Angeles area, will be the first location to see a real deployment of NVIDIA’s IGX Thor alongside Archer’s technology. The eVTOL firm purchased this Californian airport in 2025, with the aim of testing its aircraft in real operational conditions ahead of its planned commercial rollout at some point before the 2028 LA Olympics. 

The new announcement was made during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 6-9, 2025.

The newly acquired 700,000 square feet (65,000 square-meter) facility is reportedly already ready for industrial use and will supplement Joby’s original manufacturing site in Marina, California, and the firm’s main assembly line, which is also being built in Dayton. 

The Trump administration’s recent approval of the eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), an initiative to accelerate eVTOL and other novel air transportation technology adoption in the United States, appears to have renewed the optimism of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry in the United States. 

JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said that he sees this growing industrial capacity as the basis for sustained growth over the long term. 

“This site will not only support our near-term plan to double production, it can also serve as a base for significant future growth, as we turn a decade of engineering into the manufacturing scale the market is now demanding,” he said in the press release announcing the firm’s latest acquisition. 

Although the certification process of its flagship all-electric eVTOL aircraft is still underway, Joby is already gearing up to double its expected production rate by 2027, from two to four aircraft per month.  

In July 2025, Joby also announced that it would be doubling the production capacity at its Californian plant. 

This first flight, which kicks off EVE’s flight test program, took place at Embraer’s test facility in Gavião Peixoto, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and went according to expectations. 

“We exercised our control laws, verified the integration of the eight lifters and assessed energy management, the aircraft’s dynamic response and noise footprint. The prototype behaved as predicted by our models.” Luiz Valentini, Chief Technology Officer at EVE, declared after the test. 

The Brazilian eVTOL developer plans to manufacture six conforming prototypes for use in its flight test campaign, which will be closely monitored by ANAC, Brazil’s Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), the primary authority when it comes to obtaining the aircraft’s type certificate. 

EVE plans to keep pushing the testing envelope further throughout 2026, while in principle targeting 2027 for its eVTOL aircraft certification and entry into service. 

This fully electric aircraft, a full-size mockup of which AeroTime had the chance to inspect during the 2025 Paris Air Show, is designed to carry one pilot and four passengers (with luggage) over distances of around 100 km. 

However, practical, quantifiable examples of real-world applications are harder to come by. It doesn’t matter how much space companies devote to talking about AI in their annual reports and strategic plans. The sad reality is that most AI projects, in fact, fail to leave the pilot stage or don’t integrate with the business mainframe.

Perhaps not unsurprisingly, given the industry’s track record in early technology adoption, it was an airline that provided one of the earliest cases of success and, what’s more, has chosen to showcase this success as a case study for the industry

The collaboration between tech startup Fetcherr and Brazilian airline Azul is the rare exception that proves the rule: AI can actually work at scale and deliver very tangible financial results.

At the World Aviation Festival 2025 in Lisbon (October 7-11, 2025), the two companies showcased their success story, offering attendees a glimpse at the power of large market models (LMM) when applied to airline pricing. André Américo, Director of Planning & Revenue at Azul Airlines, and Dr. Uri Yerushalmi, Chief AI Officer at Fetcherr, presented their collaboration on stage.

After the presentation, the two experts sat down with AeroTime to discuss how they successfully deployed LMM technology at Azul, one of Latin America’s largest carriers, operating nearly 200 aircraft and carrying around 30 million passengers in 2024.

“The key was doing it step by step, adding one market at a time and scaling it up,” explained Américo, who revealed that the airline achieved a 3-5% revenue uplift from the moment it began deploying Fetcherr’s technology.

This technology was progressively scaled up by Azul until it covered around 50% of its operations, then it was rolled out across the entire business.

Américo explained that the actual technology rollout, for which Azul also had the full support of Fetcherr data scientists, was actually the easy part. The most challenging aspect was getting a highly experienced team, which was already high performing in its own right, to change its mindset and embrace this new tool and framework.

“We are wasting less time and inputting information into the system and have a lot more time to strategize and find ways to align our revenue management function with other marketing initiatives,” Américo explained, dismissing any lingering fears about AI-induced disruption in corporate environments. Américo also explained how, in addition to boosting revenue, Fetcherr’s LMM has saved around 10% of his team’s manual overhead. Analysts can now allocate this time to work on other high value projects.

This effectiveness can be attributed, in no small measure, to Fetcherr’s tailoring of its LMM to fit the specific needs of Azul, and of the airline industry more generally.

In this regard, Dr. Yerushalmi highlighted how the model is trained with a large amount of market data, which makes it accurate for airline pricing purposes.

“It is doing endless simulations, scanning possible decision making and choosing the right pricing policy,” he explained, adding that Fetcherr’s LMM helps airlines like Azul connect the dots about what is happening in the market.

Fetcherr helps airline revenue managers like Américo do less firefighting and focus on strategizing. However, Dr. Yerushalmi was also keen to highlight that the same principles and technology are suitable for other airline functions that require data-based complex decision-making.

This has not gone unnoticed in the investment community. In September 2025, Fetcherr closed a $42 million Series C funding round led by Salesforce Ventures, which will help it expand in the airline industry as well as in other verticals.

Having demonstrated the power of its LMM in one of the most fiercely competitive industries, Fetcherr is now ready to help companies in other industries make better pricing decisions.

You can watch the full interview below.

The program was announced on December 17, 2025, a date likely not chosen at random since it coincides with the anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903. 

The strategy outlines six key pillars (Airspace, Infrastructure, Security, Community Planning and Engagement, Workforce, and Automation) to develop the advance air mobility ecosystem in the US and issues 40 recommendations aimed at setting the basis of future policies in this field.  

These recommendations have been addressed to several US government departments and agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DoT), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Homeland Security, and NASA, which will all play a role in the rollout of advanced air mobility in the country. 

These recommendations cover areas such as the repurposing of under-used infrastructure, the updating of air traffic control systems and security protocols, and the continued federal support for concepts and technologies which are still at the premarket stage. 

Alongside the Advanced Air Mobility National Strategy, the US Department of Transportation has also published a comprehensive plan, which lays out the actions necessary for the implementation of this vision. 

The plan is structured in four partly overlapping, strategic phases, referred to as “LIFT”, an acronym which stands for the following:  

• Leverage Existing Programs to Support Innovation and Begin Operations  

• Initiate Engagement with Partners, Research and Development, and Smart Planning  

• Forge New Policy and Models Responsive to Public Needs  

• Transform the Aviation Ecosystem 

The overarching goal of the new initiative is to create a framework for inter-agency collaboration in order to accelerate the development and rollout of novel air mobility concepts and secure US leadership in aviation over the course of the next 100 years. 

The announcement was met with a warm welcomed from the industry, with the top managers of several prominent advanced air mobility and aviation technology firms, such as Archer, Electra, BETA Technologies, Wisk and Reliable Robotics, present when the announcement was made in Washington DC.  

Industry bodies such as the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) also expressed their satisfaction and support for the new initiative. 

This enhanced version of its uncrewed cargo eVTOL features optimized battery integration and a larger cargo bay, as well as foldable wings and motor arms for more compact storage and ease of transportation. 

Range and efficiently have also been improved by refining the aerodynamics of the airframe, which has been produced in collaboration with automotive engineering firm EDAG. The flight control system has also been updated for increased stability, responsiveness, and redundancy.  

This first production aircraft is set to take off shortly on its maiden flight in southern Israel. The next units will be sent to the United States where they will be used in further flight demonstrations and will support the company’s certification efforts with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

AIR has been conducting flight tests in the US since it was granted an experimental airworthiness certificate from the FAA. It was during one of these flights that an uncrewed AIR ONE prototype crashed in Indiantown, Florida on October 23, 2025. 

This production airframe is for the cargo version of the AIR ONE, which is capable of carrying a 550 lb. (249.9 kg) payload and conduct uncrewed operations beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). However, AIR is also working on obtaining a light sports aircraft (LSA) certification for the two-seater crewed version of the aircraft. 

In July 2025, AIR also announced both the closure of a US$23 million Series A funding round and the creation of a new 32,000 square meter development and manufacturing center in central Israel. 

The event also provided AeroTime with the chance to speak with Daniel Moczydlower, President and CEO of Embraer-X, the innovation division of the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer to better understand its role within the group. 

Embraer-X enjoys, in fact, a significant degree of autonomy within Embraer. It hands directly from the group’s parent company structure and is not part of any of the group’s four main units (Commercial Aircraft, Executive Aviation, Defense and Services), although its projects constantly seek to leverage synergies with all of them.  

On this point, Moczydlower commended the group’s comprehensive performance, observing that in 2024 all four business units achieved exceptional results simultaneously.  

The commercial division secured substantial orders for the E2 family, the executive jets division outpaced market growth, and the defense segment made significant inroads into international markets, in great part driven by the success of aircraft such as the C-390 multi-role transport. Demand for the services division also expanded, in tune with the growth of the other business units. 

Moczydlower explained how Embraer-X aims to be not too close to the parent company, in order to be able to develop new ideas out of the box and remain agile without the constraints which are typical in large organizations. At the same time, Embraer-X is never too far away from the group’s other units, so that the most promising ideas can benefit from their resources. 

The separation between Embraer-X and the rest of the group is, to a large degree, also physical.  

Embraer-X is not headquartered in Brazil or in Florida, the US state where Embraer has a very significant footprint, but in San Francisco. The Bay Area location allows Embraer-X to be closer to the world’s prime focus of innovation and it is complemented by other centers in Boston, a city known as well for its top-rate universities and research centers, and in The Netherlands, to be close to the European innovation scene.  

The best known and most high-profile project to have so far come out of the Embraer-X foundry is EVE Air Mobility, an eVTOL developer, which was spun off and listed in the New York Stock Exchange in 2022, with Embraer remaining to this date its largest shareholder. 

The eVTOL market still presents quite a few incognita in, both, the commercial and operational fronts, with a number of major OEMs such as Airbus and Hyundai, having paused their respective advanced air mobility programs in 2025. EVE, however, and despite some delays in its development schedule, remains committed to launching its eVTOL flight testing program in 2026. 

While Moczydlower expressed his pride in the key role Embraer-X played in the launch of EVE Air Mobility, he remarked this is now an independent business which is no longer under his umbrella. Embraer-X, however, keeps funneling a stream of new ideas into the group’s core divisions.  

Embraer-X is currently focusing its efforts on six main fields of research. 

The first one of these to be enumerated by Moczydlower is sustainability, with “Energia” as its flagship project. Energia is a family aircraft concepts, unveiled in 2021, which would be powered by novel propulsion technologies, ranging from fully electric to hydrogen fuel cell to hybrid, as its flagship project.  

Embraer-X is also active in five other areas: autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing, passenger experience, aviation-applied artificial intelligence (AI) and airframe competitiveness, which is basically research related to enhanced aerodynamics. 

Some of the work done in these areas is only disclosed ex-post or when it is at a considerable stage of development. For example, earlier in 2025, Embraer revealed a research program called New Technologies Demonstrator Platform (NTDP) through which it had been testing a new composites wing.  

Other projects, such as those relating to additive manufacturing, avionics or air traffic management systems, may not be as eye-catching as the EVE eVTOL or the Energia family, but play an important role in sustainaing Embraer’s technological edge.

In this regard, it is worth highlighting that despite being much smaller than the two dominant commercial aircraft manufacturers, the Brazilian manufacturer is often praised by industry insiders, on account of its technical expertise and track record in delivering competitive products to the market. 

A passionate of the Star Wars movie series, Moczydlower likes to quote the Yoda, one of the saga’s key characters when describing his role atop Embraer-X.  

“You must unlearn part of what you have learned and let go of some of your beliefs to be able to move forward!” he told the audience at the Future Aero Festival. 

This subscale model is already being used to perform flight tests in an undisclosed location in Italy. Data collected during those tests will guide the further development of the PHA-ZE 100. 

Jekta admitted that, while the design, which is the work of Italian designer Max Pinucci, is representative of the final one, the final configuration of the PHA-ZE 100 may still be subject to some modifications based on the results of the test campaign.  

Speaking with AeroTime during the Dubai Airshow 2025, Jekta’s founder, George Alafinov, confirmed the firm aims for the first flight of a full-scale PHA-ZE 100 prototype to take place by the end of 2027. He also gave 2030-31 as the potential date for entry into service. 

In the run-up to the air show, Jekta also announced a partnership with Innovative Aerosystems (IA), a Pennsylvania-based developer of avionics technology.  

Per the terms of this agreement, Innovative Aerosystems will customize its Liberty Integrated Flight Deck to meet the requirements of Jekta. These developments will include features specific to enhanced riverine and amphibious navigation and operations in locations with limited infrastructure as well as to reduce single-pilot workload. 

Originally developed to support digital currencies, blockchain has evolved into a trusted data-management framework used in sectors requiring high levels of verification and auditability. Its capacity to ensure that records are both tamper-proof and verifiable has made it particularly attractive across a range of industries like finance, healthcare, and aviation. 

Why blockchain matters for the aviation industry

Blockchain promises immutability, cryptographic trust and permissioned sharing across participants. For aviation, an industry governed by safety standards, multiple stakeholders and complex supply chains, those qualities look useful on paper. The practical question for stakeholders is whether blockchain can materially improve compliance and personnel verification of licenses, certificates, and training records without creating new operational, privacy or cost burdens. 

Aviation compliance rests on two facts: documents move in paper-based or siloed digital systems, and multiple parties must trust that records are authentic and complete. However, international studies indicate that up to 60% of aviation documents, such as licences, certificates, and training records, still exist in paper format or isolated digital systems. Because of this, airlines lose hundreds of millions of USD annually due to verification delays and other documentation inconsistencies. 

Gaps in traceability can also open the door to fraud, counterfeit parts and missed compliance steps, whilst also making due diligence slow and expensive when staff move between jurisdictions. Blockchain’s strongest technical benefit is a tamper-evident audit trail that can be cryptographically verified by many parties without exposing underlying personal data.  In use cases where provenance, one-version-of-truth and offline verification matter, blockchain can reduce verification time and the human effort required for audits.

“In aviation, compliance and verification are fundamental to safety,” says AERVIVA CEO Mindaugas Rainys. “Blockchain introduces a layer of trust that is both technological and procedural. It ensures that every credential, entry, and certification can be authenticated instantly, anywhere in the world.”

The aviation industry is already running meaningful pilots. SITA’s solution with ICAO demonstrated an offline, privacy-preserving mechanism for verifying electronic personnel licences and helped define technical building blocks for a global EPL standard. That project showed verification is possible without exposing personal data or requiring continuous network access, offering a practical solution for many airports.

IATA’s white paper and digital identity work, treats blockchain and decentralized identifiers as enablers for trusted, portable credentials for both staff and passengers. IATA is actively piloting identity verification constructs that build on these concepts for staff authentication across distribution and operations channels.

Market sentiment data from industry surveys supports the interest, with it being reported that roughly 59% of airlines planned pilot or research programmes around blockchain by 2021, up from 42% the prior year, a clear indicator that blockchain has begun being priority research for many operators. That momentum continued up to and throughout 2025 as projects scale and move into other areas of aviation, such as Air Traffic Management. 

Where blockchain delivers clear ROI

Blockchain is increasingly proving its value in aviation by driving efficiency. Its ability to eliminate manual processes, reduce fraud, and streamline compliance workflows positions it as one of the most transformative digital tools in modern aviation.

1. Electronic personnel licenses recorded on a blockchain allow regulators and employers to verify authenticity in seconds. By embedding cryptographic signatures within an immutable ledger, blockchain ensures that credentials cannot be forged or duplicated. This concept revealed that this approach could drastically reduce manual verification time, particularly for cross-border staff and contractors, as what used to take 72 hours to verify, is now down to as little as 7 seconds. 
2. Maintenance logs and aircraft part histories are vital to aviation safety, and counterfeit or poorly documented parts pose both safety and regulatory risks. In fact, the ICAO and FAA report that poorly documented critical aircraft parts have been a contributing factor in more than 21 aviation incidents over the past two decades. Now, blockchain enables a transparent supply chain that links part manufacture, shipment, installation and maintenance activity, which shrinks investigation time after an incident and can make audits far more efficient. 
3. In aviation HR, credential portability (training, type ratings, medical certificates) is operationally valuable for staffing agencies, crew rostering and cross-border contractors. A permissioned blockchain network allows verified credentials to travel with the individual, removing redundant checks. This not only expedites hiring but also improves regulatory confidence that the data has not been manipulated.
4. Blockchain’s utility in aviation extends beyond personnel and maintenance into everyday operational domains such as baggage handling. By recording every scan and custody transfer of a checked bag on a shared ledger accessible to airlines, ground handlers and airports, blockchain offers a single truth of bag-movement history. This transparency enables faster resolution when baggage is delayed or misrouted, reduces labour costs associated with tracing missing bags, and improves passenger satisfaction. Industry commentary reports that up to 42% of mishandled bags relate to transfer delays, and blockchain-augmented tracking systems are cited as a key tool to reduce those incidents.
5. Another use lies in air traffic control. Researchers at NASA developed an open-source permissioned blockchain framework to enable aircraft privacy and anonymity while providing a secure and efficient method for communication shared among authorized stakeholders. 

“Blockchain is about future-proofing aviation operations and ensures compliance standards are upheld” notes AERVIVA CEO Mindaugas Rainys. “As we digitize more of the aviation ecosystem, technologies that ensure integrity and transparency will define who leads the next era of safe, data-driven aviation.”

While blockchain’s potential is significant, its implementation must be carefully controlled. The most important caveat is the “garbage in, garbage out” problem: blockchain only guarantees the integrity of stored data, not its truthfulness. If fraudulent information is entered, the blockchain will preserve it immutably. Hence, robust identity verification and notarization procedures must precede data entry.

Privacy and governance present further challenges. Aviation data, especially personnel records, are protected under GDPR and similar privacy frameworks. Storing personal information directly on a blockchain could breach these regulations. Therefore, most implementations use off-chain storage, with only hashed references or metadata written to the ledger.

Finally, operational complexity and cost cannot be ignored. Establishing a global, multi-party blockchain network requires coordination among regulators, airlines, and manufacturers. The benefits are only realized once a critical mass of participants adopt the system.

Conclusion

Blockchain can be a powerful tool for aviation; the technology’s immutability and decentralized verification cuts reconciliation time, limits opportunities for tampering, and supports auditability. Early industry-led proofs-of-concept confirm real operational benefits while also highlighting the governance and legal work required for production rollout. For safety-driven industries like aviation, the right approach is pragmatic: pilot, measure, secure, and scale only where tangible ROI and regulatory acceptance exists. 

At 124 meters long, the Pathfinder 1 is currently the largest aircraft in the world. This modern take on the airship concept started to take shape with the construction of the first prototypes in 2016. Filled with helium and powered by 12 electric motors, the Pathfinder 1 has also fly-by-wire controls, not unlike those of a modern airliner. 

Although this was not the first public flight of the Pathfinder 1, the recent renewal by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the airship’s Special Airworthiness Certificate has allowed LTA Research to operate within an expanded flight envelope in the Bay Area.  

Because of this, Pathfinder 1 was able to complete a flight over the iconic Golden Gate bridge and areas close to downtown San Francisco, which offered rather unique photo opportunities. 

Take a look at the images: 

The concept of IROPS includes any situation in which passengers are denied boarding for reasons alien to them. This could be due to a whole array of factors, from adverse weather conditions to industrial action or even instances of overbooking by the airline.  

Currently managed by the second generation of the founding families, Value Group started in northern Italy as a provider of crew services (accommodation and transportation namely) to airlines.  

The turning point came around 2004 with the implementation of EU 261, a package of European regulations that set the rights of passengers and the obligations of transport operators in case of delays, cancellations, and other travel disruptions.  

Over the last two decades, the Value Group has grown to become a reference point for handling disrupted customers during irregular operations.  

Quite a few years ago, airlines usually provided these services directly and with their own staff. In the past staffing wasn’t a problem since airlines had sufficient personnel on the ground to manage disruptions in-house and on the spot.  

However, as the competitive market evolved, particularly with the emergence of low-cost carriers, airlines found themselves in the need to trim their structures, with the result that it became increasingly difficult to handle these services internally. 

“The airline station manager is becoming an endangered species! It is going extinct,” joked Value Group’s co-CEOs, Daniele Bocchieri and Thomas Sergnese, when AeroTime met them during World Aviation Festival, a trade show dedicated to the airline industry technology ecosystem, which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, October 7-9, 2025. 

The trade show created an opportunity for providers such as Value Group in which operators could outsource the management of irregular operations situations.   

Technology with a human touch 

“We use technology to respond as quickly as possible when disruptions occur, because the first 30 minutes after a disruption are critical. This is when passengers are actively looking for solutions. If you’re not quick enough to react, you’ll damage your brand image and negatively impact the airline’s Net Promoter Score (NPS).” explained Bocchieri and Sergnese, to summarize their core value proposition.  

During the conversation with AeroTime, the co-CEOs took pride in the proactive approach to disruption that the company’s software facilitates.  

Value Group has introduced AI and large language models into its software in order to predict disruptions proactively. While many disruptions are unpredictable events, “if you are working on these matters every day, you learn to identify patterns and detect potentially disruptive situations before they happen,” the duo explained.  

By linking data points to weather conditions and other factors, Value Group can anticipate potential disruptions, which gives its customers a significant advantage in preparing resources in advance.   

“This isn’t a reactive job—it’s about preparing in advance and ensuring all pieces are in place when a disruption hits. We also help airlines make informed decisions based on current market conditions: canceling in Bilbao versus London versus elsewhere requires different strategies and resource allocation.” the company’s co-CEOs explained. 

Value Group’s IROPS-management platform integrates directly with the airlines’ IT systems, at both flight operations and booking systems (DCS, PSS, or similar platforms) level. This allows Value Group to get the latest information about flight disruptions and provide the hotel and transportation solution directly to customers when this occurs. Passengers don’t need to download a dedicated app, since Value Group is able to send them all they need via links embedded in messages or through integration with the airline app.  

Presenting the Rubik Platform  

The suite of services includes a flagship service called Rubik, which provides a layered approach to disruption management:  

Rubik can see across the airlines’ systems when and where an instance of disruption occurred, for example, when a flight has been cancelled.  This automatically triggers actions based on a set of rules. Not all disruptions may be handled the same way, for example if a flight is cancelled with enough time in advance due to previously announced industrial action, no service request may be activated, since the passengers have already been taken care of through other channels.  

However, if the disruption requires an immediate response on the side of the airline, Rubik goes into action communicating with the affected passengers offering them accommodation options, transportation, and other services they may need. Passengers can then select and book their preferred options through this interface.  

Self-handling is an innovative capability introduced by Value Group. “Passenger satisfaction is often measured by how quickly they can get to a hotel or how many hours they must wait at the airport without information.” the company directors added. 

“This summer, we launched a landmark project with one of the world’s leading airline groups enabling 100% self-handling of passengers during disruptions across over 200 airports,” they shared proudly.  

Technology makes it possible to handle the needs of most passengers efficiently, but, of course, there are always segments of customers that for a range of different reasons may require more personalized attention. This is when the “human touch” comes into play. Even then, ground staff have access to a module of Value Group’s software, which helps them handle these cases quicker.  

“Before you may have 150 people queueing, waiting for assistance. Now, maybe it’s just 10 or 20 passengers who require human help since most travelers can just use their phones and don’t need or don’t want to get face-to-face assistance,” added Bocchieri. “With our approach, we can handle 100% of passenger needs. One without the other doesn’t really work.”  

Value Group has onsite staff at 20 airports across Europe, and it has even taken this concept of in-person attention as far as investing in dedicated lounges, called “VG Lounges”. 

As of October 2025, Value Group has five lounges operating in major airports, the latest of which has just opened at London Heathrow. In the lounge, passengers have a dedicated space where they can be taken care of, rather than rambling around the terminal. Value Group complements its assistance with a number of complimentary amenities, such as water and coffee, which help make an inherently negative experience more bearable.  

Likewise, Value Group offers a service called “MAVRK”, which allows airlines to manage their crews and also offers crew members the possibility of monitoring their accommodation, departure times, and transportation schedules on a dedicated app.  

Value Group has a network of suppliers, including hotels, transportation providers, and the like, which is able to provide services at 433 airports globally.   

The firm’s Operations Management System (OMS) is an intelligent data base is able to connect with them all across the supply chain. Value Group is able to anticipate, for example, how many rooms are available and where even before the disruption takes place. When a disruption hits, the system can quickly access the existing market inventory and reconfirm availability.   

Bocchieri and Sergnese highlighted how this reconfirmation step is critical since it is essential to always verify with the suppliers to ensure disrupted passengers will not face additional problems.  

The value of consistency 

While regulations such as EU261 provide a strong rationale for airlines to contract Value Group’s services, the Italian firm also operates in many other markets, from the United States to India, in which operators do not face such obligations.  

Having a robust disruption IROPS-handling system, however, still makes a lot of sense.  

“Everyone focuses on direct costs, such as how much does a hotel room cost for a disrupted passenger. But there are hidden costs of not handling customers properly,” explained Bocchieri and Sergnese. “Have your customers sleep at the airport and see how your NPS drops…We are talking about real money! It’s an investment that makes sense because you retain customers and reduce excessive claims. What is the cost of losing a customer?” 

The same goes for service consistency. Passengers expect consistent, reliable service regardless of the regulatory framework of the place in which the disruption happens.  

In this regard, Value Group’s co-CEOs are clear about their vision: “We’re creating a global standard for irregular operations management and passenger care.”   

The facility serves as an immersive showcase for SITA’s latest innovations in passenger processing, biometric identification systems, AI-powered airport operations, and emerging aviation technologies. Industry clients including airlines, airports, ground handlers, governments, and border agencies can experience these cutting-edge solutions firsthand.

Since it was founded in 1949, SITA has worked collaboratively with airlines and aviation partners to address evolving industry needs. Now, 76 years later, the company’s Singapore Customer Experience Centre highlights how far passenger processing technology has advanced, featuring AI-driven systems and sophisticated biometric solutions that are reshaping the travel experience.

The new facility positions Singapore as a hub for aviation technology innovation, allowing SITA’s diverse customer base to evaluate and test next-generation systems before deployment.

The era of passport-free travel

While demonstrating what passport-less travel would look like using biometric technologies, Kelvin Ng, SITA’s Senior Business Development Manager for Border Management, said aviation is rapidly moving towards a time when traditional passports will become obsolete.

Since October 12, 2025, many European airports have ceased stamping passports for non-EU visitors following the implementation of the digital Entry/Exit System (EES). SITA predicts that within just a few years, passengers may no longer need physical passports for international travel.

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Ng outlined how the passenger journey will be transformed. Travelers will complete processing from home using specialized applications that capture biometric and personal data, then transmit this information to relevant authorities for verification and secure sharing.

“Passport scanning starts at home, and along with your biometric data, you create a verifiable identity using details from your passport chip. It takes just a few seconds to verify, but because you’re doing it in the comfort of your home, there’s no time pressure,” Ng explained to AeroTime while demonstrating passport processing via an app. 

The airport experience will be equally streamlined, Ng said. 

“When you arrive at a check-in counter, a face scanner will be there. Essentially, your face becomes your passport. That’s the direction the industry is moving. Within the next five to eight years, we’ll see passport-free travel becoming widespread globally.”

This shift represents a complete reimagining of border control and passenger processing, with biometric authentication replacing traditional document verification at every stage of the journey.

Portable technology transforms the traditional check-in experience

One of the standout innovations at the Customer Experience Centre is the Flex Box, a compact device that reimagines the traditional airport check-in counter.

Resembling a small coffee machine, the Flex Box is a portable check-in and luggage tag printing station that can be deployed anywhere in an airport or airline office, liberating staff from being confined to fixed counter positions.

To illustrate its versatility, SITA positioned a Flex Box on a kitchen counter at the facility, where it blended seamlessly among espresso machines. The lightweight, touchscreen-enabled device prints boarding passes, generates baggage tags, and accepts QR code payments, giving airlines the flexibility to deploy it for various passenger handling needs throughout their operations.

Off-airport check-in revolution

Another breakthrough technology showcased at the center is a mobile passenger processing trolley that enables travelers to check in from locations outside the airport, including hotels and train stations.

Stefan Tuchen, SITA’s Business Development lead who also designed the trolley, told AeroTime that the system was engineered for maximum mobility, allowing it to be easily wheeled to any location.

“This gives passengers the opportunity to check in for flights from the comfort of their hotel rooms or any other off-airport location,” Tuchen said.

The trolley also features technology for weighing luggage, as well as printing boarding passes and bag tags. A logistics provider will then transport the bags directly to the airport. This will allow travelers to maximize their time with last-minute sightseeing or shopping, eliminating the stress of arriving at the airport early with checked baggage in tow.

The innovation is a notable shift in passenger processing, moving the airport experience beyond terminal boundaries and into the traveler’s pre-journey environment.

SITA: Seven decades of shaping aviation technology

In an exclusive interview with AeroTime, SITA Asia Pacific President Sumesh Patel reflected on the company’s pivotal role in shaping aviation technology over the past 76 years, contributing to virtually every major systems milestone in the industry.

“We work with ICAO and IATA to set global industry standards, so when you see technologies applied across airports, airlines, and governments today, we take pride in being instrumental in making those milestones happen,” said Patel, who has spent more than three decades with the company.

At the core of every innovation, Patel explained, is a fundamental question: How can passengers experience seamless interactions at every touchpoint of their journey?

“We want passengers to feel they are in control of their journey. Our goal is helping airlines and travelers realize the real benefits of technology without getting overwhelmed by its complexity. We aim to make it as seamless as possible,” he said.

Technology as enhancement, not replacement

Despite showcasing innovations that could seemingly replace human workers, Patel emphasized that SITA’s philosophy centers on supporting human capabilities rather than eliminating jobs.

“When you look at passenger and aircraft growth projections over the next 20 years, there simply won’t be enough staff to service that expansion,” Patel noted. “This is where technology becomes essential. We create efficiency and provide tools that enable people to serve passengers better and more effectively.”

The approach reflects a broader industry strategy: using automation and AI to address capacity constraints while maintaining the human element that remains central to customer service in the industry.

The announcement, made at the Axios Future of Defense Summit in Washington, D.C., follows Venus’s May 2025 high-thrust RDRE flight test at Spaceport America. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. 

Pioneering detonation-based propulsion 

Venus claims to be the only company with a flight-proven, high-thrust RDRE and a path to scaled production. Unlike conventional engines that rely on subsonic combustion, RDREs use continuous supersonic detonation waves, a concept studied for decades by NASA and the US Air Force Research Laboratory. The approach could improve efficiency by up to 25 percent while reducing engine size and weight. 

“Venus has proven in flight the most efficient rocket engine technology in history,” said Sassie Duggleby, Co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace. “With support from Lockheed Martin Ventures, we will advance our capabilities to deliver at scale and deploy the engine that will power the next 50 years of defense, space, and commercial high-speed aviation.” 

Chris Moran, Executive Director and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, said the investment reflects the company’s belief that propulsion innovation will shape strategic advantage.  

“Next-generation propulsion will define which nations lead in space and defense for decades to come,” Moran said. 

Venus is also developing the Venus Detonation Ramjet (VDR), which could combine rocket and air-breathing propulsion for continuous flight from takeoff to hypersonic cruise. 

Founded in 2020, the Houston-based startup has raised more than $106 million from investors including Airbus Ventures, Prime Movers Lab, and America’s Frontier Fund, with additional support from NASA, DARPA, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. 

For the first time, the low-cost carrier showcased the redesigned cabin interiors for the Boeing 737 MAX fleet. This cabin revamp was first announced in February 2024 and will be applied to all factory-new B737 MAX aircraft that join the fleet moving forward. 

The first aircraft to be fitted with this new 175-seat configuration is a Boeing 737 MAX 8 (registration N8972S) which will enter service on October 16, 2025. 

Blue tones dominate the new cabin, which is fitted with RECARO R2 slim seats. The rows at the front of the aircraft are Extra Legroom (ELR) seats and are identified as such through a slight design difference in the seat cover patterns, which subtly feature a lighter color on their top section.

These seats do not have embedded screens but feature personal device holders and USB-A and USB-C power outlets. Southwest will also offer Viasat-provided Wi-Fi connectivity onboard its new MAX aircraft. 

According to data from ch-aviation, as of October 16, 2025, Southwest Airlines has 274 new Boeing 737 MAX 7 and 197 MAX 8 aircraft on order. 

These product upgrades are part of Southwest’s quest to boost its profitability as it faces heightened scrutiny from activist investors such as Elliott. This also includes making significant investments in its technological and revenue management infrastructure.  

Betting on re-commerce technology to boost revenue 

On the same day that it showcased the new cabins, the airline also announced a partnership with Volantio, a technology firm specializing in post-sale revenue optimization. 

Volantio has developed a system that allows airlines to analyze large amounts of data, to identify flights that will be in high demand and likely to command higher prices. This gives the airline the chance to proactively reach out to customers that already hold tickets on those flights and offer them money to buy them back before later reselling them at a higher price.  

Key to this concept is the fact that all ticket claim-backs are executed on a voluntary basis after the passenger has accepted a monetary offer to sell its ticket back to the airline. 

A closer look at the ticket resale technology 

AeroTime met with Volantio’s co-founder and CEO, Azim Barodawala at World Aviation Festival, a major airline tech show which took place in Lisbon, Portugal, October 7-9, 2025, to learn more about this technology. 

“Our business is built on a single premise, which is the people travelers are more flexible than anyone thinks they are,” Barodawala explained. 

His team conducted research polling a sample of more than 2,000 people across nine countries, globally, age and income adjusted, and found that 87% expressed some degree of flexibility to change their travel plans (provided they were properly compensated). 

Barodawala also explained that Volantio, which received investment from JetBlue Ventures (later acquired by SKY VC), is already working with carriers such as Alaska Airlines, Qantas, and IAG Group airlines and has also started to apply the same principles to Broadway shows.  

“We’re not just talking about aviation,” he said. “There are several trillion-dollar industries globally, from sea freight to live events, that have three common characteristics: constrained supply, volatile demand, and perishable inventory. We’re starting with aviation, but I think there’s a lot of value outside of that as well.” 

Founded by former EY Partner Saul Adomaitis, Orbitron AI has quickly become recognised for its practical and results-driven approach to enterprise AI. The company’s focus remains clear: to bridge the gap between AI’s potential and measurable business outcomes.  With NovaOS, Orbitron AI is taking a significant leap toward enabling AI agents that can reason, act, and collaborate safely and effectively within high demanding enterprise environments.

Saul Adomaitis, Founder & CEO of Orbitron AI, commented:

“Tools like ChatGPT and Copilot have certainly democratised AI, but most businesses are still struggling to translate that into tangible bottom-line impact. That’s why NovaOS comes with pre-built, industry-specific verticals designed to tackle the most pressing business pain points.

At the same time, we’ve seen other agentic AI platforms overpromise by selling ‘agents instead of people.’ Orbitron AI has taken a different path: our agentic products are people-centric, built to drive measurable improvements in process effectiveness. We’re not in the business of replacing people with AI. Our mission is to make business processes faster, more accurate, and more cost-effective—while always keeping people in control and in the loop.”

Unlike traditional AI platforms that emphasize model integration or task automation, NovaOS is designed as a full operating environment for intelligent agents — built from the ground up around enterprise-grade governance, security, and data sovereignty. It provides a unified framework that ensures compliance with corporate policies and regulatory requirements, including:

• Secure identity and governance mechanisms for autonomous agents
• Context and memory management to support adaptive, policy-aligned intelligence
• Deep observability and auditability for performance, compliance, and risk monitoring
• Integrated agentic commerce and payments with enterprise-level security controls

Together, these capabilities establish a trusted, policy-compliant foundation where AI agents can safely and transparently contribute to business processes — with accountability and data integrity at the core.

Adomaitis added, “We are entering a period where AI will no longer sit on the sidelines. It will actively participate in decision-making and operations. NovaOS is our step toward that reality — a system designed for the world where humans and AI work side by side.”

“In sectors like aviation, where operational reliability and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable, agentic systems like NovaOS can bring real, measurable value,” said Adomaitis. “From optimizing crew rostering to seamless ordering and logistics of spare parts to address AOG, these are precisely the kinds of challenges our architecture was built to handle safely and transparently.”

Orbitron AI continues to expand its presence across the United States, the MENA region, and India, supporting enterprises as they adopt AI responsibly and at scale. The company’s vision for NovaOS underscores its commitment to building the infrastructure needed for the next era of intelligent enterprise systems.

The new model was shown airborne in a social media video on October 13, 2025, ahead of an official presentation in Hefei, China, where EHang has established a new industrial base for the aircraft.  

The company described the VT35 as a “next-generation long-range pilotless passenger eVTOL”. It appears to be an evolution of the earlier VT30 demonstrator, first unveiled in September 2021, and which introduced fixed wings to improve endurance compared to the company’s original multicopter concept. 

According to EHang, the VT35 is designed for cross-city, over-water, and mountainous routes, signaling ambitions for longer-range regional operations. 

The Hefei municipal government confirmed in August 2025 that the city will host the headquarters, production facilities, and test operations of the VT35 series. The project represents a total investment of RMB 1 billion ($140 million), with up to RMB 500 million ($70 million) in government support through orders, investments, and supply chain cooperation. 

Building on EH216-S commercial groundwork 

The unveiling follows a landmark year for EHang’s commercial efforts. In March 2025, the company announced that its subsidiaries, Guangdong EHang General Aviation and Hefei HeYi Aviation, had received Air Operator Certificates (AOCs) from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), enabling passenger flights with the EH216-S eVTOL. 

The EH216-S became the first pilotless passenger eVTOL authorized for commercial operations, operating in limited contexts such as sightseeing flights and demonstration routes. The VT35 now aims to extend this certified foundation toward higher-capacity and longer-range applications. 

According to the company, “this partnership marks one of the largest commercial agreements to date to bring autonomous cargo eVTOL aircraft into healthcare logistics at scale.

MightyFly is a provider of expedited logistics services and a leading manufacturer and operator of autonomous, fixed-wing, hybrid eVTOL cargo aircraft with payload capacities of 100 pounds, a range of 1,000 miles, and a speed of 150 mph. 

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, MightyFly was founded in 2019 with backing from several major investment organizations. The company was named a “Top Supply Chain Startup to Watch” in 2022 by Business Insider. According to the company’s website, “MightyFly’s mission is to provide fast, affordable, and low-emissions expedited deliveries to businesses and governments.

MightyFly’s autonomous eVTOL service will provide same-day deliveries, with in-transit cold storage as an optional feature, directly from pharmacies, clinics, and retail stores to the healthcare provider’s labs.

This will reduce dependence on costly commercial airline shipments and inefficient ground transportation, according to the company. In addition to offering speed and reliability, MightyFly’s aircraft offer a sustainable alternative, cutting emissions by up to 64% compared to road-based vans and 92% compared to small aircraft, the company added.

This landmark agreement potentially signals a pivotal shift for the logistics industry. Unlike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that typically deliver a single item between two points, MightyFly’s aircraft can autonomously transport hundreds of test kits to and from multiple destinations on a single route.

The result, says the company, is three times faster deliveries enabled with eVTOL door-to-door shipments, faster turnaround times for diagnostic results, and 70% lower operating costs than legacy logistics services. By doing so, MightyFly aims to ultimately expand access to care for the provider’s customers and their end-users, including major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, CVS, and Kroger, as well as clinics and educational institutions.

“Our mission is to provide efficient access to goods. In healthcare, that means enabling the most expeditious, accessible, and affordable care,” said Manal Habib, CEO of MightyFly. “With our Cento aircraft, we will deliver resilient, cost-efficient, and reliable expedited logistics at scale. With its 1,000-mile range and cargo capacities in the hundreds of items, our aircraft will transform expedited logistics and healthcare access. With its eVTOL, healthcare is no longer constrained by roads and runways; lifesaving supplies, and critical goods can now fly everywhere, directly and efficiently.”

By MightyFly’s calculations, the US pharmaceutical logistics market exceeds $100 billion annually, while healthcare logistics approaches $90 billion. Both are projected to more than double in the coming decade as diagnostics, personalized medicine, and resilient supply chains become critical to healthcare delivery.

The latest announcement comes as MightyFly has marked a series of milestones so far in 2025. So far, over 400 flights have been demonstrated, including automated cargo loading and unloading. The company has also carried out testing with the US  Air Force to advance autonomous aerial logistics technology.

It says it has over $210 million in signed commercial Letters of Intent (LOIs), which “validates broad market demand,” and finally, in April 2025, the company received FAA authorization to test in five California airspaces, up to 5,000 ft, including seven airports and multiple flight corridors.

“With this latest contract and the momentum of our recent achievements, MightyFly is leading the next stage of autonomous aerial logistics, moving beyond small drones to transporting large volumes of goods at scale,” Habib added. “This is just the beginning, and healthcare is the first step. Our hybrid eVTOL platform will redefine expedited logistics across retail, defense, manufacturing, and commercial supply chains worldwide.”

Achieving TRL6 means that a specific system has progressed beyond basic laboratory testing and has begun to be tested in conditions representative of its intended operational environment. 

Beyond Aero is developing a hydrogen-electric executive aircraft, the BYA-1, capable of carrying six to eight passengers over distances of 800 nautical miles (1,481 kilometers). 

In addition to having raised approximately $50 million in funding, Beyond Aero has also acquired part of the intellectual property, including the entire patent set, as well as relevant data sets, from another hydrogen aviation startup, Universal Hydrogen, which ceased operations in July 2024. 

The test in which Beyond Aero managed to reach full power took place at the company’s lab in Toulouse, France. 

There, Beyond Aero has set up three separate testing channels, which utilize equipment from two different fuel cell providers, generating a combined 1,200 kW of power. By running tests in parallel and independently of each other, Beyond Aero is also able to minimize technology risk. 

As per the form of hydrogen Beyond Aero uses. The lab also has the capacity to compress, fill, store, and use pressurized hydrogen gas at 700 bar in Type IV tanks. 

Beyond Aero has also confirmed that it is working closely and proactively with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) through an early consultation program to reduce the certification risk of the BYA-1 executive aircraft within the CAS-23 framework. 

As per the terms of the agreement, Akkodis will become a first-tier supplier to Deutsche Aircraft and is expected to play a major role in Deutsche Aircraft’s supply chain.  

However, it must be noted that in the press release announcing the signature of this deal, the two companies have gone to great lengths to highlight that the agreement is not only a supply contract, but a long-term mutual commitment to make the D328eco a tangible reality. 

Akkodis will contribute its expertise in aircraft system design and development to the regional airliner program, alongside its specialized engineering know-how.  

In particular, Akkodis will work in areas such as the integration and testing of complex systems and the conduction of tests, both on the ground and in flight, and through the certification process. Akkodis’ digital modelling technology will also be used to evaluate alternative propulsion systems for the Do328eco, including hydrogen. 

Deutsche Aircraft’s declared interest in the research of potential new propulsion systems for the regional aircraft also aligns with another strategic agreement signed by the company on September 23, 2025, with Munich-based electric aircraft developer Vaeridion. “The aim of this partnership is to explore the collaboration of the two companies in the evaluation and testing of electric propulsion systems onboard the D328eco.  

Additionally, members of Delta’s frequent flyer program SkyMiles who are logged in to Delta Sync Wi-Fi will be able to unlock a 14-day free preview of YouTube Premium on Delta Wi-Fi-enabled flights within the US with no form of payment required.

Delta and YouTube link up

In an announcement made on September 25, 2025, Delta and YouTube said they were teaming up to bring enhanced video and audio entertainment to Delta passengers. First announced at the CES 2025, Las Vegas, in January 2025, and now being rolled out network-wide, the partnership claims to be the first of its kind, joining a global airline with a giant media brand.

“To be rolled out across Delta’s fleet of aircraft on personal seatback screens, the new partnership brings SkyMiles Members and other customers frictionless, ad-free access to a selection of popular YouTube creators, podcasts, and music playlists onboard most flights,” said an airline statement.

Delta states it has more than 165,000 seatback screens across 930+ aircraft in its fleet, each operating with fast, free Delta Sync Wi-Fi both domestically and internationally. With this many entertainment outlets, the airline reaches more people than most other international airlines. Through the new partnership, a selection of YouTube videos, podcasts, and music playlists will be rolling out now across all seatback screens.

According to the airline, its customers will be able to enjoy a selection of podcasts and videos from popular YouTube creators. These will include artists like Mr Beast, Nick Giovanni, Kinigra Deon, Michelle Khare, Mel Robbins, Mother Goose Club, and others. There will also be access to videos covering travel and lifestyle, comedy, and culture. Additionally, passengers will be able to access YouTube Music playlists featuring music and podcasts spanning a variety of genres.

“Delta and YouTube are spotlighting creators as cultural connectors,” said an airline statement. “From food and travel influencers to lifestyle voices and storytellers, the partnership brings diverse voices on board and into the travel experience. With even more on the way, Delta’s in-flight entertainment now features fan-favorite creators, video podcasts, and kids’ content.  

“This partnership was born from a simple but powerful insight: our customers love YouTube,” said Julieta McCurry, Delta’s Vice President of In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity. “As two leaders in our respective spaces, each with a legacy of innovation and a deep commitment to serving as agents of human connection, Delta and YouTube are uniquely positioned to deliver an unmatched customer experience – one that meets you where you are and helps you discover more of your world.”  

Not just seat-back entertainment

In addition to seat-back entertainment, Delta’s boarding music will now be powered by YouTube Music. “Customers will enjoy a new instrumental pop soundscape designed alongside Delta Flight Attendants to be elevated, comforting, and friendly for all ages,” added the airline.   

“We’re incredibly proud to bring the best of YouTube and YouTube Premium to the Delta in-flight entertainment experience,” says Miguel Quiroga, Vice President, Product Partnerships, YouTube. “Whether it’s on TVs, phones, or now seatback screens, there are so many ways to experience YouTube’s top creators, culture-defining podcasts, and fan-favorite music content. All of which is made even better with free access to YouTube Premium, so travelers can enjoy all of YouTube and YouTube Music uninterrupted.”  

According to Delta, this new partnership launch is part of a broader transformation that aims to “blend cutting-edge technology with meaningful collaborations to enhance how customers engage with content, both in the air and on the ground. 

“Technology has the power to transform travel and create moments for our customers to enjoy the journey as much as the destination,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Whether through fast, free Wi-Fi, our industry-leading seatback screens, or any of the other personalized channels in Delta’s digital ecosystem, we’re committed to creating a seamless and enriching experience for our passengers.”  

While both firms are developing new aircraft types in the Munich, Germany area, each has chosen to focus on a specific market segment and technology.  

Deutsche Aircraft is developing the Do328eco, a low-emissions regional turboprop for up to 40 passengers based on the Dornier 328 platform. In turn, Vaeridion is working on a clean-sheet all-electric aircraft for up to nine seats, called Microliner. 

Through this new agreement the two companies will share expertise and resources based on their respective core competencies. Deutsche Aircraft will share its expertise in structural design, industrial processes, and testing. Vaeridion’s proprietary battery pack will be tested on Deutsche Aircraft’s flying test bed, a D328 aircraft (registration D-CUPL), which belongs to the German Aerospace Research Center (DLR). 

This collaboration will be facilitated by the recent Vaeridion’s recent acquisition of an industrial facility at Oberpfaffenhofen Airport (OBF) near Munich, where Deutsche Aircraft is also based. 

On September 8, 2025, Vaeridion announced the takeover and reactivation of premises at Oberpfaffenhofen Airport. The airport was previously occupied by the now bankrupt eVTOL developer, Lilium.  

Vaeridion will establish its own advanced battery research and assembly center at the newly acquired facility.  

As part of the Lilium liquidation process, Vaeridion also acquired some of the industrial equipment that the failed eVTOL developer had in place for its own electric propulsion program. 

During a recent visit to Vaeridion’s headquarters in Munich, Vaeridion’s founder and CEO Ivor van Dartel confirmed to AeroTime that the startup remains on target for its maiden flight to be launched towards the end of 2027, and entry into service towards 2030. 

Founded in the Netherlands in 2021 before later relocating to Munich, Germany, Maeve Aerospace is developing the MAEVE Jet MJ 500, a hybrid-electric aircraft for between 75 and 100 passengers.  

With the MAEVE Jet MJ 500, Maeve Aerospace aims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 40% on regional routes compared to traditional aircraft. This is thanks to its optimized wing design and the use of electric power during certain phases of the aircraft’s operations, particularly during low altitude stages of the flight.  

Delta Air Lines is channeling this initiative through its Sustainable Skies Lab, which is its own in-house innovation program focused on decarbonization technologies. With this partnership, Maeve Aerospace joins other prominent startups, such as JetZero and Joby Aviation, with which Delta Air Lines has also partnered to develop novel and more sustainable flight technologies. 

According to Delta, the US airline will provide operational expertise to further the development of the MAEVE Jet. So far, no additional details have been shared regarding the specifics of the collaboration and whether Delta Air Lines is also supporting Maeve Aerospace’s project financially. 

Additional partnership with SkyWest 

The announcement of the partnership with Delta Air Lines follows the signature of a similar agreement with SkyWest, one of the leading US regional carriers. SkyWest operates as a franchisee of several major US airlines, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines, feeding their hub operations through an extensive network of regional air connections. 

SkyWest will have exclusive launch customer rights to the MAEVE Jet. What’s more, the press release announcing the deal includes mention of the US carrier becoming an equity investor in Maeve Aerospace, although no specific figures have been disclosed.  

As with the case of Delta Air Lines, SkyWest will also share its operational and design expertise with the German startup with a view to facilitating the development of the MAEVE Jet. 

The SkyWest deal includes the participation of Maeve Aerospace’s long-standing strategic partner in North America, MHIRJ. This Montréal, Québec-based company was set up in 2020 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) when it acquired the Bombardier’s CRJ regional jet program. Although the CRJ project was discontinued, MHIRJ has continued to provide engineering and consulting services to the aerospace industry, including Maeve Aerospace’s hybrid-electric regional aircraft program. 

The first flight took place in Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, shortly after XPeng received the necessary approval from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). 

During the demonstration, which took place at the Jazirah Aviation Club, the aircraft performed a number of maneuvers to showcase its capabilities, such as hovering, doing 360-degree rotations and coordinated turns. 

The launch of this flight test program was attended by the ruler of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, as well as the Chinese ambassador to the UAE. 

XPENG AEROHT, which is the advanced air mobility subsidiary of the eponymous carmaker raised US$150 million in a Series B round in 2024, in order to further the development of its modular concept. 

The Chinese firm has developed the so-called ‘Land Aircraft Carrier’, which consists of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) carrying a small manned eVTOL vehicle folded on its back. The eVTOL can be unfolded and deployed at the desired location and then folded back again after post-flight recovery. 

XPENG AEROHT has also signed a strategic agreement with the RAK Transport Authority to collaborate on this vehicle’s flight certification in the UAE, as well as its potential use on several government-related applications, such as government transportation, emergency services and tourism. 

The ‘Land Aircraft Carrier’ vehicle combination is currently undergoing the process of obtaining a production certificate in China, where XPENG is also building a manufacturing plant for AEROHT. This production facility is expected to be completed before the end of 2025. 

In parallel to this, XPENG has had a prominent presence at the IAA Mobility trade show, which takes place in Munich, September 8-14, 2025, where it has also showcased the AEROHT concept of land-air transportation. 

The move was first reported by the Orange County Register, a local newspaper in California with access to sources within the company and was picked up by TechCrunch and other media outlets shortly after.  

Supernal’s decision to pause work on its eVTOL program follows the departure of both the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). 

On August 31, 2025, Dr. Jaiwon Shin and David McBride stepped down from their roles as CEO and CTO, respectively. So far, no new CEO has been appointed, and the company is reportedly scouting the international executive market for a replacement. In the meantime, Senior Business Development Director, David Rottblatt is overseeing Supernal’s operations as interim Chief Operations Officer (COO). 

In response to AeroTime’s queries, sources at Supernal stated:

“As we transition to new leadership, we have taken the opportunity to strategically review our program’s progress and next steps to ensure alignment with our long-term goals. Hyundai Motor Group remains strongly committed to its AAM business.”

With this decision, Supernal follows in the footsteps of Airbus, which earlier in 2025 also paused its own eVTOL development program, CityAirbus NextGen, citing the need for battery technology to catch up with the requirements of eVTOL developers. 

Although part of a South Korean group, Supernal is based in Irvine, California. The eVTOL developer announced in April 2025 that it had conducted its first test flight at the Mojave Air and Space Port. 

Supernal’s flagship project was the development of the S-A2, a battery-electric eVTOL aircraft capable of carrying four passengers and a pilot. 

Until this point, BETA Technologies has focused on the development of the conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) fully electric, battery-powered CX300 ALIA aircraft. A vertical take-off and landing, also fully electric (eVTOL), is planned for a later stage. 

However, under this new agreement with GE Aerospace, it is possible that BETA Technologies may also develop a hybrid-electric version of this aircraft with extra range. Crucially, any technology resulting from this collaboration may be used in other aircraft designs.  

A number of eVTOL developers have been leaning towards the adoption of hybrid architectures in recent years, as this could enable them to meet the range and endurance requirements of the US military.  

Defense programs are emerging as a major driving force accelerating the development of several clean sheet aircraft designs in the US. In addition to BETA Technologies, other prominent startups such as Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Electra and REGENT are all working on hybrid-electric solutions of this sort. 

In the case of the GE Aerospace – BETA Technologies partnership, both firms have highlighted the complementarity of the respective areas of expertise, coupling BETA Technologies’ experience in the development of high-performance, permanent magnet electric generators with GE Aerospace’s know-how in conventional turbine development and certification.  

For example, GE Aerospace produces the T700/CT7 engine family, which powers a broad range of military and civilian helicopters, including the UH-60 Blackhawk and the AH-64 Apache in their multiple versions, as well as several types of propeller aircraft. 

Aligning closer with GE Aerospace will allow BETA Technologies to tap into GE Aerospace’s large scale manufacturing capabilities and resources, while the engine maker in turn will be able to further its work in alternative propulsion technologies.  

GE Aerospace has already been dabbling for several years with electric and hybrid-electric propulsion technology and has conducted some successful tests. On the other hand, its new partner BETA Technologies is already flight-testing its proprietary electric propulsion technology in real conditions, both in the US and in Europe. 

As per the terms of this deal, GE Aerospace will also have a seat on BETA Technologies’s Board of Directors. 

• Q: What are APC’s new AI-Powered Instructor Tools, PROJECT ORCA?

A: PROJECT ORCA is a new suite of AI-powered tools developed by Airline Pilot Club (APC) to support instructors and examiners in flight training and checking. Using ICAO’s Competency-Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) framework, PROJECT ORCA tools enable more efficient observation, recording, classification, and assessment of pilot competencies.

• Q: Why is APC launching this now?

A: The aviation industry faces rising training demand, instructor workload pressures, and regulatory emphasis on CBTA/EBT. PROJECT ORCA provides a standardized, data-driven solution to enhance training quality, improve consistency, and support faster pilot development.

For Instructors / Examiners

• Q: Does PROJECT ORCA replace the instructor?

A: No. Instructors remain in full control. PROJECT ORCA provides suggested assessments, which the instructor can accept, edit, or reject.

• Q: How does PROJECT ORCA help during a session?

A: PROJECT ORCA automatically records performance data, maps observable behaviors to ICAO competencies, and proposes CBTA scores (1–5) with pass/remedial/fail logic. This saves time, reduces subjectivity, and ensures consistent grading across sessions.

• Q: What about my own performance as an instructor?

A: PROJECT ORCA also supports instructor calibration. It evaluates key instructor behaviors in briefing, training, evaluation, and debriefing, helping ensure consistency and alignment with best practices.

• Q: Will PROJECT ORCA increase my workload?

A: Quite the opposite. By automating data capture and first-pass grading, PROJECT ORCA reduces administrative burden and allows instructors to focus more on teaching and mentoring.

For Airlines & Training Organizations (ATOs)

• Q: How does PROJECT ORCA integrate with existing systems?

A: PROJECT ORCA is designed to connect with most training management systems (TMS), learning management systems (LMS), and HR platforms through secure APIs.

• Q: What benefits can an airline or ATO expect?

A: Key benefits include:
– Consistency of grading across instructors and locations
– Evidence-based reporting for audits and regulator reviews
– Cost-efficient CBTA/EBT compliance
– Faster trainee progression and reduced training hours lost to inconsistency
– Enhanced instructor development and oversight

• Q: What is the timeline for rollout?

A: Following validation with partner airlines and ATOs, initial deployment is targeted for Q1 2026. Demonstrations can be arranged from late 2025.

For Regulators

• Q: How does PROJECT ORCA ensure regulatory compliance?

A: PROJECT ORCA is aligned with ICAO CBTA/EBT standards and provides transparent, auditable training records. Each assessment includes structured data on how many, how often, and how well observable behaviors were demonstrated.

• Q: Is the AI a “black box”?

A: No. Instructors and regulators can see how the AI mapped behaviors to competencies and how scoring decisions were calculated. Instructors always have final authority.

• Q: Will PROJECT ORCA reports be accepted in regulatory audits?

A: Yes. PROJECT ORCA produces structured, time-stamped reports with full traceability, designed to support regulators in oversight and audit processes.

For Pilots / Trainees

• Q: Does the AI decide whether I pass or fail?

A: No. PROJECT ORCA proposes assessments, but instructors retain final authority over pass/fail outcomes.

• Q: How does this affect me as a trainee?

A: You will receive clearer, evidence-based feedback including heat maps that highlight strengths and areas for improvement. This transparency can accelerate your development.

• Q: Will my personal data be safe?

A: Yes. All data is handled in compliance with GDPR and aviation data protection standards. Only authorized training staff and regulators will have access to your records.

Technology & Data

• Q: What kind of data does PROJECT ORCA capture?

A: PROJECT ORCA captures structured performance data (flight phases, exercises, observable behaviors), time-stamped instructor inputs, and—where authorized—audio/video streams for analysis.

• Q: How does the AI achieve accuracy?

A: PROJECT ORCA uses advanced pattern recognition to map pilot behaviors to ICAO competencies. Its assessments are validated against instructor inputs, with continuous improvement during test and deployment phases.

• Q: What is “advanced native AI audio and video analysis”?

A: “Advanced native AI audio and video analysis” refers to an innovative approach in which PROJECT ORCA processes audio and video data directly to assess various training situations. Unlike traditional methods that rely on converting spoken words into text, PROJECT ORCAskips this intermediate transcription step. This means the analysis is more direct and efficient, focusing on the raw audio and video signals.

PROJECT ORCA models scrutinize these signals to extract relevant cues without needing a human-readable transcript. The analysis targets acoustic features, speech patterns, interaction timing, and contextual markers, rather than just the words spoken. This approach allows PROJECT ORCA to detect behaviors, communication styles, workload stress cues, and procedural adherence even in noisy environments like simulators or aircraft.

For video, when enabled, PROJECT ORCA can recognize gestures, control inputs, instrument scan behavior, and crew coordination patterns. This comprehensive analysis provides a richer and more detailed understanding of the training events. The observations are then fed directly into PROJECT ORCA for pilot or instructor performance assessment, ensuring a seamless and thorough evaluation process.

• Q: How is bias prevented?

A: Instructors retain authority, all AI evaluations are explainable, and datasets are continuously checked to ensure fairness across genders, backgrounds, and training contexts.

Implementation & Next Steps

• Q: When will PROJECT ORCA be available?

A: Initial customer deployment is planned for Q1 2026 following validation in late 2025.

• Q: How can my organization get involved?

A: Airlines, training organizations, and regulators can request a demonstration and participate in the validation phase by contacting APC directly.

This development follows a long-term collaboration between the Californian firm and the Pentagon. The US military has been evaluating Reliable Robotics autonomous flight systems in a number of scenarios and domains, as part of its effort to strengthen its battlefield logistic capabilities. 

In addition to the potential lower cost, autonomous systems are seen as a particularly promising way to deliver supplies to frontline troops in contested environments. Being unmanned, these aircraft present lower risks for personnel while also delivering much-enhanced in-theatre endurance.  

In this regard, Reliable Robotics has highlighted that the modified Cessna 208B aircraft would be able to operate 24/7 over distances of thousands of miles. This is relevant in the event of US forces having to potentially operate in a hostile environment over the vast expanses of the Indo-Pacific region.  

This is a scenario that features prominently in the minds of US military planners, and it is at the root of a number of innovative initiatives proposed by private aerospace companies. Examples of this are the unmanned ground-effect-vehicle recently proposed by REGENT or the recently discarded Sealifter program to develop a heavy amphibious airplane program. 

Reliable Robotics is also planning to fit its technology into a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, a rather old platform that nevertheless remains strategic for force projection over very long distances. 

Earlier this summer, Reliable Robotics disclosed that it is also working with the US Department of Defense to set up what is calls “Autonomy-Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA)”, a set of systems and procedures to integrate autonomously flying aircraft into the broader air traffic control system. 

While military applications play a major role in Reliable Robotics development road map, the company is also eyeing the civilian market.  

In the press release announcing the latest contract with the US Air Force, Reliable Robotics’ CEO, Robert Rose highlighted the dual use nature of this technology. 

“This deployment is about bringing a dual-use autonomy system to improve safety and boost operational tempo at scale,” Rose stated. 

Earlier, Archer revealed that test flights in the preceding week had reached speeds of nearly 150 mph (241 kph) over a variety of patterns. “This latest achievement marks another major milestone in Archer’s envelope expansion program as the company advances toward Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification in the US and near-term commercialization of the Midnight aircraft in the United Arab Emirates.”

The longest flight to date was conducted as a conventional take-off and landing mission. Four of Archer’s test pilots are now regularly conducting test flights in Midnight, underscoring the program’s continued progress and maturity.

“I was proud to be on the tarmac with the team for this flight,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO. “Crossing the 50-mile mark at speed is another clear step toward commercialization that shows the maturity of our program.”

Meanwhile, Mike Leskinen, Executive Vice President and CFO of United, added, “I’ve been a longtime supporter of bringing sustainable forms of aviation to market. Congratulations to the Archer team on achieving this milestone flight. I was impressed by how quiet the aircraft was.”

The Experimental Test Pilot for this flight shared: “Throughout the thirty-minute flight, the aircraft performed consistently, with predictable handling. It was a beautiful day to be behind the controls.”

In July 2025, Archer Aviation conducted the first flight of its Midnight eVTOL aircraft in Abu Dhabi ahead of its eventual commercial launch in the UAE. On July 2, 2025, its aircraft, Midnight, completed the flight at Al Bateen Executive Airport (AZI) as the eVTOL developer looks to build real-world data about UAE-specific conditions.  

Through the UAE test flight series, Archer plans to expose Midnight to conditions such as high temperatures, humidity, and dust in advance of its commercial deployment in the UAE and the Middle East. Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) will be Archer’s first Launch Edition customer, with plans to deploy an initial fleet of Midnight aircraft beginning later this year. 

According to Archer Aviation, Midnight flight test pilots will continue to expand speed and duration endurances of the Midnight through more testing and develop test mission profiles that map to early commercial operations. “This milestone follows a series of key developments in Archer’s commercialization roadmap, including the continuation of its manufacturing ramp throughout the U.S. and the activation of its Launch Edition program in the UAE,” concluded the company’s statement.

Joby said the flight time between the two airfields was approximately 12 minutes over ten nautical miles, including five minutes in a holding pattern at Monterey Airport for air traffic spacing. The piloted flight included a vertical take-off, transition to wing-borne horizontal flight, integration into the controlled airspace around Monterey, and vertical landing. The milestone, according to Joby, marks the first time a piloted eVTOL air taxi has flown from one public airport to another. ”The flight also successfully demonstrated the team’s ability to conduct mobile flight tests and deliver full ground support operations away from home base in Marina,” said a company statement.

“The achievement is a major step as part of Joby’s commercial market readiness, highlighting key capabilities across safety, operations, air traffic control, and certification progress,” the statement continued. “It’s a critical measure of the maturity of the Company’s path to commercialization, as the flights also demonstrated the type of real-world service Joby intends to offer to the public.” 

“Successfully flying from Marina to Monterey showcased operations of our aircraft integrated in the broader transportation network and further validated its performance to ensure we’re prepared for service on day one,” said Didier Papadopoulos, President of Aircraft OEM at Joby. “For years, our flight testing has validated our aircraft’s capabilities, and we’ve done this across a wide range of environmental conditions. As part of the natural progression of our flight test program, it was time to venture further, and there was no better place to visit first than our neighbors in Monterey.”

According to the company, these critical flight tests are being performed to provide developmental data related to the human factors of operating the aircraft at a controlled airport and in real-world airspace. In particular, Joby’s ability to integrate into controlled airspace was demonstrated when its aircraft successfully sequenced with other aircraft at Monterey Airport, including a holding pattern to accommodate another arriving airliner.

Joby’s aircraft systems, pilot certification, and training were on full display by adhering to the same air traffic control protocols as a major airline. “This is also an important step in the Company’s certification efforts, as the FAA requires aircraft to demonstrate they can operate in shared airspace by flying between multiple airports, added the company.

The demonstration was performed to show the company’s commercial market readiness. So far, the organization’s aircraft have completed over 40,000 miles of test flying across its fleet. Joby recently began assembly of its first aircraft intended for Type Inspection Authorization flight testing, one of the last major steps in the FAA certification process. Joby plans to begin flight testing with FAA pilots early in 2026. Following certification, the company plans to launch commercial service domestically, starting in the cities of Los Angeles and New York City.

The Brazilian firm has issued 47,422,680 shares of common stock at $4.85 per share, which have been subscribed by BNDESPAR, a subsidiary of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), its parent company, Embraer, and other unspecified, institutional investors. 

Another aspect of this corporate deal is that Eve, which was already listed on the Nasdaq, will also be listed on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange. 

This dual listing in the US and Brazil will be possible through the subscription by BNDES of Brazilian Depositary Receipts (BDRs), which will trade locally in Brazil under the EVEB31 ticker. Each of these BDRs represent one share of common stock valued at R$26.21 (US$4.85). 

In addition to having access to fresh capital to continue on its path towards certification, with this share placement the eVTOL developer aims to further diversify its investor base going forward. 

The proceeds of this share offering will be used by Eve to pay for services performed in Brazil, and to cover other general corporate expenses, including financing operations. The company has not ruled out using part of this capital to engage in potential strategic acquisitions or repay debts.  

The flights are being conducted by Bristow Norway, the local subsidiary of the US-based group, in cooperation with Norwegian government-owned airport operator Avinor and the Civil Aviation Authority of Norway (CAA Norway). 

Over a period of six months, the partners in this test program will evaluate the operational performance of BETA’s CX300 on flights between Stavanger (SVG) and Bergen (BGO) airports, both located in the southwest of Norway. However, the flight test program may expand at a later stage to other locations in Norway. 

While the BETA CX300 has seen extensive testing in almost real operational conditions throughout the US, including some transcontinental flights (with multiple stops along the way) and participation in the US military’s AFWERX program, this is the first large-scale testing program overseas. 

Norway’s Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nygård and Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen attended an event at Stavanger airport which kicked-started the test program, during which attendees could see the ALIA demonstrator already painted in the Bristow livery. 

Why Norway? 

The choice of Norway is not random since the Nordic country, which leads already in electric mobility on land with the adoption of electric cars and ferries, is also committed to decarbonizing its domestic air travel industry as soon as possible. 

The first tests with fully electric aircraft in Norway date back to as early as 2018, when airport operator Avinor organized a number of demonstration flights with two-seater Pipistrel Velis Aircraft. In the last few years, other Norwegian operators, such as regional carrier Wideroe (acquired by low-cost carrier Norwegian in 2023) have also established programs to evaluate the rollout of electric aviation in the Norwegian domestic air travel market. 

Norway is also a major market for Texas-based Bristow, which services the offshore North Sea oil and gas industry with its helicopter fleet.  

Bristow has long held an active interest in the advanced air mobility space. As well as this joint project with BETA Technologies, it also has an outstanding order with Vertical Aerospace for 50 eVTOL aircraft plus another 50 options and, together with the British startup, plans to offer turnkey service packages for eVTOL operators. 

The BETA Technologies CX300 ALIA demonstrator arrived in Norway after a journey across Europe that spanned several weeks, taking it to Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France, where it participated in the 2025 Paris Air Show flight display, as well as Germany, Luxembourg and Denmark.  

To learn more about the BETA Technologies CX300 ALIA, then watch AeroTime’s video interview with the company’s co-founder and CEO Kyle Clark, conducted during the Paris Air Show 2025. 

In a program that started in March 2025, Wizz Air began the rollout of the new technology, which equipped pilots with StorkJet’s FlyGuide FPO (Flight Path Optimization) solution that evaluates aircraft performance models and actual flight data using machine learning algorithms. According to a Wizz Air statement, the AI-driven tool recommends “optimal speeds and altitudes for each phase of the flight, from climb to cruising and descent, with personalised advice delivered to pilots via their tablets.”

“With this information, pilots can make more informed decisions that lead to more efficient flights,” says the Wizz Air statement. “Pilots can also avoid unnecessary carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. After more than 10,000 test flights, Wizz Air achieved 0.5% to 1% fuel and CO₂ reduction per flight with no compromise to safety.”

“We are happy to expand our longstanding relationship with Wizz Air, now with the further innovations in the flight deck,” said Renata Niedziela, CEO at StorkJet. “FlyGuide FPO delivers clear, aircraft-specific recommendations for speed and altitude throughout the whole flight, helping pilots make better decisions – improving fuel efficiency, reducing CO₂ emissions, and enhancing overall flight performance, without adding complexity.”

Real-time weather data

Also, starting in August 2025, Wizz Air pilots now have access to real-time in-flight weather data in the flight deck through AVTECH’s Aventus and SIGMA systems. Wizz Air states that these tools “enhance traditional pre-flight weather briefings by delivering dynamic, route-specific notifications during the flight. Pilots will receive up-to-the-minute information about wind patterns, turbulence, and other conditions along the flight path, such as icing, thunderstorms, and volcanic ash. With this feature, pilots also see routes in four dimensions (latitude, longitude, altitude, and time) and receive suggestions in their on-board computer on how to reach a destination most efficiently.”

“We are pleased to expand our service delivery to Wizz Air following a comprehensive product evaluation process,” said David Rytter, the CEO at AVTECH. Our in-flight services are powered by the latest high-resolution aviation weather forecasts from the UK Met Office. The Aventus and SIGMA service combination delivers accurate and tailored wind and temperature information to the flight deck during flight, along with automatic and precise alerts for turbulence and other weather hazards along the flight path. We look forward to a strong collaboration with Wizz Air, aimed at enhancing flight efficiency, punctuality, and passenger comfort across their operations.”

Less exposure to turbulence

Wizz Air states that with active usage of such technologies, flights are expected to be less exposed to turbulence, with fewer sudden changes in altitude. The systems also have optimised wind data, especially during descent, enabling the aircraft to determine the most efficient point to start the descent, improving fuel efficiency and arrival accuracy. Within initial analysis, the Aventus system shows 10 to 15 kg (22 to 33 lbs) of fuel saving per flight. This level of real-time in-flight awareness was not previously available to pilots across low-cost airlines, who had to rely on pre-departure forecasts or third-party applications, adds the airline.

“Wizz Air is proud to be the first adopter of these systems, well ahead of our main competitors,” said Diarmuid Ó Conghaile, Chief Operations Officer at Wizz Air. “Flight Path Optimization from StorkJet assists our pilots in smart decision-making. The solution is easy to use, reduces CO2 emissions, and supports our long-term Net Zero 2050 aspirational goals. While both these functions operate behind the scenes, the benefits are noticeable for passengers on board.”

“Our customers will experience quieter, smoother flights with less turbulence, especially during climb and descent. This development fits perfectly with the airline’s Customer First Compass initiative. By combining the latest advances in weather forecasting and flight planning, Wizz Air is giving its 2,700 pilots the latest generation in in-flight tools to serve our more than 75 million annual passengers with a better flying experience,” he concluded.

These include a patent portfolio from Overair, a spin-off of California-based Karem Aircraft.  

At this stage, it is unclear what the implications of this sale will be for Overair’s own advanced air mobility program and whether this is a full takeover.  

Over the last few years, Overair has been developing its own quad tiltrotor eVTOL, called Butterfly, the first prototype of which was assembled in 2023. Indeed, in its press release, Archer refers to the advanced, high-efficiency tiltrotors developed by Overair. Archer has also confirmed the hiring of several key employees from Overair in connection with this acquisition. 

In parallel to the Overair deal, Archer has also acquired, for an undisclosed sum, a 60,000 square ft (5,574 sq. meter) composites manufacturing facility in Southern California from Mission Critical Composites, a firm specializing in defense composite manufacturing. Archer has stated that the purpose of this acquisition is to boost its in-house composite production capabilities, in order to accelerate its prototype development and testing processes. 

This announcement reinforces the broader pivot among advanced air mobility companies towards the defense sector, capitalizing on the Pentagon’s $13.4 billion budget allocation for autonomous military systems.  

In December 2024, Archer partnered with Anduril Industries, and in July 2025, its competitor Joby followed suit in a similar agreement with L3Harris, another large defense technology contractor. 

While the company is not yet generating any revenue, the latest financial filings show a solid liquidity position, with nearly $1 billion in cash and cash equivalents.  

The financial resources at hand will enable Joby to sustain momentum as it heads towards the latest stages of certification. Joby confirmed Stage 4 (of 5) of its eVTOL aircraft certification process is well advanced, with more than 50% complete on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) side and 70% on the company’s side. 

Joby also disclosed that the first conforming aircraft intended for Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) flight testing is being assembled at the company’s production facility in Marina, California. This aircraft, which will take to the skies before the end of 2025, will be used by FAA evaluators during the last stage of the certification process. 

Just days before holding the Q2 earnings call with investors, Joby also made a number of relevant announcements. On August 4, 2025, it announced the acquisition of helicopter operator Blade, a leader in urban air mobility, for $125 million. This deal is expected to give Joby a pre-existent operational and customer base from which to start air taxi operations once its eVTOL aircraft is certified. 

Then, on August 5, 2025, the Californian firm also announced the expansion of its partnership with Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) to deploy more than 100 aircraft to air taxi operations in Japan. This is also subject to the obtention of aircraft certification.  

Japan has long been a strategic market for Joby, which counts car making giant Toyota as its largest shareholder. Joby reaffirmed its commitment to performing a series of demonstration flights at the Expo 2025 Osaka, between October 1-13, 2025. This appearance at the Expo 2025 Osaka has long been on the cards, but the details have only now been confirmed. 

In July 2025, Joby also announced a partnership with L3 Harris to develop military hybrid-propulsion aircraft based on the startup’s S4 eVTOL aircraft. 

The deal, which was first reported by Bloomberg on August 5, 2025, reportedly involved a CHF 180 million (approximately US$223) all cash transaction. Speaking with AeroTime at the Paris Air Show in June 2025, Daedalean’s CEO, Bas Gouverneur confirmed that, at that time, the company had raised around CHF 80 million (nearly US$100 million). 

Headquartered in Zurich and with offices in Riga, Latvia and Phoenix, Arizona, Daedalean is a leader in the application of machine learning technologies to the domain of autonomous flight.  

Daedalean’s technology uses cameras and sensors which allow the aircraft to gain awareness of the surrounding environment and act appropriately, conferring it the ability to act autonomously, even in the absence of a data link to the ground. 

Destinus, which is based at the Swiss aerospace cluster at Payerne, in the canton of Vaud, started with the goal of developing hypersonic aircraft that could potentially be used for commercial air transport. However, in the last few years the Swiss startup has been reorienting a big part of its activity towards the development of advanced military drones.  

The founder of Destinus is Russian-born entrepreneur Mikhail Kokorich, who has been quite vocal in its opposition to the current Russian government and who has reportedly helped Ukraine boost its drone warfighting capabilities. 

Earlier in 2025, Destinus acquired another European aerospace company, Netherlands-based Aerialtronics, which specializes in the development of multicopter UAV platforms driven by artificial intelligence (AI). 

At the time of that acquisition, Kokorich highlighted that Destinus growing portfolio of drone and autonomous flight solutions aligns with the launch of the ReArm Europe initiative, a €800 billion defense investment plan to boost the defense capabilities of European states. 

AeroTime has reached out to both Destinus and Daedalean for comment. 

The agreement, which was announced on August 4, 2025, covers the production of the entire airframe, including the wing, empennage, pylons, and fuselage, and will extend past the certification stage, when Vertical Aerospace plans to serially produce the VX4. Aciturri will also take responsibility for the design and engineering of several of the related key components. 

Based in Miranda de Ebro, in central-northern Spain, Aciturri produces aerostructures for some of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers and has been a supplier to successful aircraft programs, such as the Airbus A320, Boeing 737 airliners and Embraer KC-390 military transport aircraft. In 2024, Aciturri came under the umbrella of the Belgian group Sonaca, which acquired 51% of its shares. 

Bit by bit, Vertical Aerospace is defining its network of Tier 1 suppliers for key elements of the VX4 eVTOL. In May 2025, the British company confirmed its partnership with aerospace technology giant Honeywell to develop the avionics and flight control systems for the VX4. 

In the meantime, Vertical Aerospace is hitting several key milestones. In May 2025, an VX4 prototype flew for the first time in open airspace, and in July 2025 it completed the first flight between two airports, when it left Cotswold Airport (GBA) to take part in the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025, which took place at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. 

Besides the value of the deal, this move is significant in terms of business strategy and the opportunities it opens up for the roll out of eVTOL operations in major urban markets. By acquiring Blade, Joby moves one step closer to a vertically integrated model in which it not only manufactures the aircraft but also operates them. Through the Blade acquisition, Joby will also enter into the organ transport business. 

This is not the first time that Joby has made an acquisition in the air ride segment. In 2020, the company paid US$75 million to acquire Uber Elevate, a subsidiary of the popular car riding service which aimed to replicate the model in the urban air mobility segment 

Unlike Uber Elevate, however, Blade has a well-established position in the helicopter ride business. 

Founded in 2014 and publicly listed on Nasdaq since 2021, Blade is a leading operator in its field, with a presence in several major urban markets on both sides of the Atlantic, including its home market, New York City. In 2024, more than 50,000 passengers passed through Blade’s 12 terminals.  

While the development of an electrically powered passenger eVTOL remains the core business of Joby, the Marina, California-based startup has been diversifying its activities through acquisitions and partnerships.  

In addition to the acquisition of Uber Elevate, Joby quietly acquired German firm H2FLY in 2021 in order to gain access to hydrogen propulsion technology, which can help extend the range of eVTOL aircraft. Then, in 2024, Joby acquired Xwing in order to obtain the latter’s autonomous flight technology.  

More recently, in July 2025, Joby announced a partnership with L3Harris to develop new eVTOL aircraft concepts for defense applications. 

This project, which is taking place under the aegis of a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), aims to leverage the technology Reliable Robotics has developed for commercial aviation and apply it to the military domain.  

One of the advantages of the Autonomy-Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) that Reliable Robotics and the USAF are working on is that these autonomous flight systems will be deployable across multiple military platforms and missions. They will also facilitate the communication and integration of military drones with other aircraft, including commercial ones, and air traffic control. 

“Today’s modern and next-gen warfighters must be capable of operating in any airspace environment. Our partnership with the FAA to certify the Reliable Autonomy System is the reason we have a seat at the table to help DOD build the blueprint for advanced aircraft autonomy,” stated Robert Rose, CEO and Co-Founder of Reliable Robotics in a press release announcing the agreement. 

Since its launch in 2017, Reliable Robotics has successfully tested its systems on several Cessna aircraft and has also taken part in the AFWERX program, which enables collaboration between aerospace startups and the US military. 

In 2023, in a conversation with AeroTime, Rose, who before founding Reliable Robotics held senior engineering roles at SpaceX and Tesla, explained that the company was planning to pursue a number of defense applications in the years to come. Among such projects is the implementation of autonomous flight systems in larger platforms, such as the KC-135 Stratocruiser tanker. 

This first flight of this new electrically powered helicopter is expected to take place in late 2026, with magniX supplying the fully integrated powertrain and batteries. 

In June 2024, magniX launched its own battery pack, the “Samson”, and, in March 2025, an electric motor, called “HeliStorm”, designed specifically for the helicopter market. The HeliStorm, which operates at speeds of 6,000-7,000 RPM (Revolution Per Minute), is lighter than turbine engines for the same category of aircraft. 

While Robinson claims the top spot in the global ranking of helicopter bestsellers (nearly 6,000 units of the R44 have been sold since its launch and the more modern R66 has already sold more than 1,500), magniX, which is known for its pioneering work in electric aviation, can also claim some firsts. 

In 2022, magniX successfully flight-tested the first retrofitted electric R44 helicopter and, in March 2025, completed the world’s first piloted hydrogen-electric helicopter flight. 

Robinson’s CEO, David Smith, has been very vocal in the public sphere about the potential of proven and tested rotorcraft platforms for electrification, comparing them to more technically immature eVTOL concepts. 

The V2000CG CarryAll has already obtained its type certificate and production certificate, so this latest official validation brings it, in principle, close to its commercial debut. It is also worth noting that the V2000CG CarryAll is also the first aircraft over one ton to be granted all three certifications. 

While the most immediate commercial applications of AutoFlight’s aircraft are in the cargo segment, the company is also working on a passenger eVTOL called “Prosperity”, capable of carrying four people plus the pilot. 

AutoFlight is one of the leading firms in the Chinese eVTOL ecosystem and has been actively performing demonstration flights at several locations throughout China, such as the Pearl River Delta and Shanghai Pudong Airport (PVG). 

The company has also started to build a greenfield factory in the city of Wuhan, one of the Chinese cities which has already drawn up plans to establish up intra-city eVTOL services in the near future. 

On July 17, 2025, the United States space agency shared footage and images of the aircraft moving at slow speeds on the ground at Armstrong Flight Research Center, within the grounds of Edwards Air Force Base, California. 

The X-59 is being developed jointly by NASA and Lockheed Martin specifically for the ‘Quesst mission’, which intends to research ways to mitigate the sonic boom produced by supersonic flight. 

The field of civilian supersonic flight is experiencing a revival after decades constrained by strict noise regulations. Private companies such as Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are working on low-boom supersonic airliners.  

These efforts have been echoed at governmental and legislative levels in the US. On June 6, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order that would remove the blanket ban on overland civilian supersonic flights, moving to a system based on specific noise thresholds instead. A number of legislators are also promoting a bill that would enshrine these changes into law. 

Projects like the X-59 aim to collect the sorts of data that would facilitate the determination of these noise thresholds. To this end, NASA has stated that the results of this research are to be shared with US and international regulators. 

The next stage in the X-59 program will be the aircraft’s maiden flight, which should take place at a still unspecified date in the near future. 

Based near Toulouse, one of Europe’s aerospace capitals, Ascendance Flight Technologies has been working on the eye-catching ATEA eVTOL since 2018. 

The ATEA is a five-seat hybrid-electric VTOL designed to have a range of 400 kilometers at full payload and a cruising speed of 200 kilometers per hour. This figure can increase to up to 900 kilometers of range with a reduced payload. 

Vertical lift is provided by eight ducted fans, while two propellers, mounted on the nose and the tail, are used for horizontal flight once the aircraft is airborne and has reached transition altitude.  

At the Paris Air Show, which took place at Le Bourget between June 1 and 3, 2025, Ascendance announced the launch of its proprietary STERNA hybrid-electric propulsion system, developed in partnership with French battery and thermal management systems developer EXOES.  

The STERNA is an advanced modular that integrates a battery designed specifically for hybrid-electric aviation, together with an energy management system, a Turbotech Aero turbogenerator and Safran ENGINeUS electric motors 

Unlike other eVTOL entrepreneurs, the founders of Ascendance have focused on hybrid propulsion from the beginning. A choice possibly influenced by the fact that, prior to setting up Ascendance, some of them had worked on Airbus’ E-Fan project. This early attempt by the European aerospace giant to dabble in electric propulsion was cancelled in 2017, but it offered some valuable lessons about the capabilities and challenges of electric propulsion. 

And while most of the attention Ascendance has received is centered on the ATEA eVTOL, the company’s expertise in hybrid-propulsion systems has also opened up opportunities to collaborate with a number of other aerospace projects. 

At this year’s Paris Air Show, Ascendance also announced the signature of two separate collaboration agreements with both Airbus and a consortium which includes well-known industry players such as Collins, Safran and Daher, in order to further research into hybrid-electric propulsion systems. 

As of June 2025, Ascendance has received more than 670 orders for the ATEA, which is expected to be certified and enter service by 2029. 

The company is currently building its first prototype aircraft and is targeting a first flight at some point before H2 2026. 

AeroTime met with Ascendance co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Thibault Baldivia at the Paris Air Show to learn more about these projects and the goals the French startup is aiming to achieve. 

Watch the video below to find out more. 

This agreement, which could potentially be worth US$1 billion, is the largest single order for a Chinese-made eVTOL to date. 

Autocraft is the advanced air mobility arm of Kintsugi, an Abu Dhabi-based conglomerate that invests in the development and deployment of advanced technologies in different fields. 

The deal also reaffirms the commitment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to become one of the first, perhaps even the first, jurisdictions in the world to enable the roll out at scale of eVTOLs for urban air mobility purposes. 

TCab Tech was founded in Shanghai in 2021 and has since been working on the development of the E20, an electrically powered, five-seater tiltrotor eVTOL with a range of 200 kilometers and capable of flying at a top speed of 320 kilometers per hour. 

The agreement between Autocraft and TCab Tech is dependent on the E20 gaining type certification in the UAE, a goal towards which both companies have pledged to collaborate.  

Both companies had previously signed a preliminary collaboration agreement during the 7th China International Import Expo, which took place in Shanghai, November 5-10, 2024. 

Through this partnership, both companies will explore the possibility of fitting ZeroAvia’s ZA600 hydrogen fuel cell powertrain to this new aircraft, which is currently under development. 

Unlike other eVTOL developers, Horizon Aircraft always envisaged a hybrid propulsion architecture for the Cavorite X7 eVTOL, combining batteries with a conventional gas-powered engine. This propulsive solution allows Horizon Aircraft to pitch the Cavorite X7 as a longer range and more performing alternative to other eVTOLs.  

Horizon Aircraft promises a range of 500 miles (800km) and a cruising speed of up to 250 knots (450 km/h) for the Cavorite X7. This seven-seater eVTOL uses 14 electrically powered lift fans on its wings for vertical takeoff and landing, and a rear-mounted conventional propeller for horizontal cruise flight. 

By potentially adding a hybrid hydrogen-electric option, Horizon Aircraft is following in the footsteps of Joby Aviation, which has been working on its own hydrogen-electric zero-emission eVTOL since it acquired German hydrogen propulsion firm H2FLY in 2021. 

The Canadian firm has successfully tested a large-scale model of the Cavorite X7 in untethered flights. In May 2025, it also completed a full transition from vertical to horizontal flight. 

Hunterbrook has also published some pictures that were taken from a distance, which seems to confirm this hypothesis. 

The flight test took place on June 30, 2025, at Pendleton Airport (PDT), in northern Oregon. The mysterious aircraft remained airborne for over nine hours, flying circular patterns over the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Range, which is located in the vicinity of the aforementioned airport. 

While Joby is known, above all else, for its work in the eVTOL field (the company just completed full-transition demonstration flights in Dubai in early July), since 2022 it has been diversifying its activities through a number of selective acquisitions. 

In 2021 Joby acquired German firm H2FLY, which specializes in hydrogen propulsion, and in 2024 it did the same with the autonomous flight activities of Californian startup XWing.  

It has long been known that Joby is interested in hydrogen propulsion as a potential range extender for its flagship eVTOL product. In July 2024, for example, a hydrogen-powered eVTOL prototype completed a 523-mile journey nonstop in within California.

The nine-hour flight recently completed would, however, place this flying craft on a whole other league when it comes to range. Likewise, it has been suggested that the likely unmanned nature of the aircraft points towards potential military applications. 

HAV is in the final stages of planning for the production of the Airlander 10, the company’s first commercial aircraft. Airlander 10 is a versatile and hybrid aircraft with a modular payload design capable of transporting over 100 passengers, a ten-ton payload of freight, or providing a highly instrumented cabin for persistent surveillance, reconnaissance, and communications for national security, commercial, or disaster response.

Airlander’s ability to fly at different altitudes for up to five days and modular payload design make it a versatile, multi-use platform ideal for government and commercial users. Additionally, the Airlander design scales easily into larger variants that could carry up to 200 tons (400,000 lbs) over long distances. “Airlander, particularly larger variants, is well suited to providing logistics to remote or disaster response areas globally because of the aircraft’s unique ability to land on any relatively flat surface with no need for prepared runways,” added the company statement.

The strategic move to establish HAV USA is being seen as a move to support growing interest from the US national security, aerospace, and disaster response sectors in Airlander. The new organization will be led by John Schumacher, a distinguished and experienced leader in government, aerospace, and international organizations.

According to the company, Schumacher previously served as a US naval officer, led NASA’s work on its new ‘Vision for U.S. Space Exploration’ project, strengthened US missile and space capabilities, and advanced humankind’s reach into Space. He was also a key leader in reinvigorating Aerojet Rocketdyne, America’s premier rocket propulsion manufacturer, and serves as President of the International Academy of Astronautics.

“Establishing a presence in the United States marks a new chapter in our international journey,” said Tom Grundy, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles. “We are excited to bring our vision to new audiences and forge deeper partnerships across borders. I am pleased to have John Schumacher on board to lead this new expansion and look forward to realizing the tremendous opportunities present in the US and the Americas.”

“It’s a great honor to lead HAV USA,” responded Schumacher. “Airlander brings to the United States an aircraft whose roots and future are British and American – it embodies an unsurpassed combination of trans-Atlantic aerospace innovation. Airlander will provide capabilities vital to US national security and commerce. Exciting days lie ahead!”

“HAV USA reflects the increasing global relevance of our technology in the Americas and allows us to expand cooperative activities with US companies and the US Government,” concluded the company statement.

The cancellation was first reported by Aviation Week on July 7, 2025. While no official press release has been issued, a note on DARPA’s website refers to the completion of the program in the following terms: 

“In June 2025, DARPA completed its work on Liberty Lifter. After restructuring the program to focus on areas of highest technical risk, the program’s simulation success and materials testing proved the viability of the Liberty Lifter concept.”  

In February 2023, DARPA selected General Atomics and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to develop a large amphibious aircraft that would use the ground-effect principle to move heavy cargo at high speeds and low altitude over water. The project specifications called for an aircraft capable of carrying payloads of up to 100 tons (similar to those of a C-17 Globemaster III aircraft), 6,500 nautical miles of range (12,000 kilometers), and the ability to fly as low as 100ft (30 meters) over water. 

In May 2024, DARPA assigned an additional US$8.3 million to Aurora Flight Sciences to continue work on the project alone. 

The original project outline envisaged that a prototype would be flown at some point in 2027 or 2028, but a prototype will now not be built. However, this will not happen in the end, since no prototype will be built.  

Nevertheless, DARPA has underlined that valuable insights have been derived from the Liberty Lifter program and that it aims to continue working with industry partners to apply this information to other platforms. 

This announcement comes at a time when it has been learned that China is working on its own amphibious ground-effect vehicle. 

In early July 2025, some blurry pictures emerged of a test site in the Bohai Sea, a gulf in the northern Yellow Sea showing what could possibly be sea trials of a new Chinese amphibious aircraft. 

Natilus unveiled a proposed cabin interior concept for its future passenger aircraft, called Horizon, in July 2025.  

The San Diego-based startup, working together with California-based cabin design studio ACLA, has come up with two different possible configurations: a high density one for 196 passengers (40 First Class seats with a 38″ pitch, 48 Economy+ with a 34″ of pitch and 108 in Economy at 31″ pitch), and a less dense Premium one for 164 passengers. 

The latter features four classes instead of three: 16 First Class seats with a 42” pitch offering full-flat position, 16 Business Class seats with a 38″ pitch, 60 Economy+ 34” pitch seats and 72 Economy class seats with a 31” pitch. 

Natilus is taking advantage of the opportunities offered by a clean-sheet platform like the Horizon to add some innovative spaces onboard. For example, the Horizon would be fitted with three dedicated video conference pods, enjoying comprehensive connectivity for both video and phone calls. The cabin would also have state-of-the-art lighting systems, making up for the absence of windows with simulated skylights and customizable virtual windows. 

These systems are designed to provide an immersive experience that helps fight jetlag while providing top-notch in-flight entertainment.  

Another novelty would be the possibility of booking what Natilus calls “club seating,” specific sections of the cabin arranged for people travelling together, for example, families or colleagues. 

The Horizon would feature three or four restrooms and eight exit doors. 

But Natilus has also been working on its original cargo-only aircraft concept, which it has called “Kona”. On July 9, 2025, the Californian firm announced it had been awarded a US patent for an innovative diamond-shaped cargo bay. 

According to Natilus, this design, which would be fitted into the Kona freighters, provides 2.5 times more cargo space than the cargo compartments of tube-and-wing aircraft. The Kona also benefits from the aerodynamic properties of the blended wing body design, which its proponents claim can reduce operating costs by 30%. 

The new facility will concentrate the firm’s development and manufacturing activities, which include an aircraft assembly line with capacity for up to six aircraft simultaneously, an engineering lab, a composite materials workshop, and a paint shop. Aircraft testing and quality control before flight line deployment will also be performed at the site. 

On June 29, 2025, AIR also announced it had signed an agreement with German engineering group EDAG, which will make aerostructures for the AIR ONE eVTOL. 

AeroTime spoke with AIR’s founder and CEO, Rani Plaut, to learn more about the firm’s current and future projects. 

Plaut explained that AIR ONE’s initial flight tests with an unmanned demonstrator aircraft had caught the attention of the US military because of its potential as a resupply drone. This has led AIR’s management to reevaluate its market strategy. 

While the core concept continues to be that of a manned light eVTOL for the civilian market, AIR is now prioritizing the development of an unmanned, cargo-only version. 

This freighter version of the AIR ONE replaces the seating compartment with a cargo bay with 70 ft3 (2 m3) of capacity and a payload with a weight of up to 250kg. 

“It’s like a flying pick-up truck,” said Plaut. 

The entrepreneur also explained that the company has already received purchase orders for 22 units of the AIR aircraft and expects to deliver between nine and 11 of them in the unmanned cargo version within the next 12 months. 

AIR has received pre-orders for 2,500 aircraft in total, 1,700 of which from the United States. The importance of the US market for AIR is underlined by the fact that the company is already preparing to invest in yet another larger production facility there. AIR’s US plant is expected to be able to produce up to 2,000 aircraft per year within three years of its opening, Plaut told AeroTime. 

“We are changing the paradigm of aviation [manufacturing] by implementing concepts of the automotive industry,” he said. 

Plaut also revealed that the company had US$6.25 million in revenue in 2024, a figure that he expects will reach the US$10 million mark in 2025. 

As per the terms of this agreement, Aerosolutions has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for 50 of EVE’s eVTOLs, while Bluenest sets up of a network of vertiports throughout the northwestern regions of Costa Rica. 

The business case for this project rests upon the opportunity to service the country’s burgeoning high-end eco-tourism industry. The area of operations will initially be focused on the areas near the Pacific coast of the Central American country, connecting airports to nature resorts within a 20 to 50 kilometers radius.  

The fact that Globalvia has already a significant presence in the Costa Rican infrastructure sector, where it manages the A27 motorway, is expected to facilitate the roll out of the advanced air mobility infrastructure. Additionally, it should facilitate the establishment of air-ground multi-modal transportation nodes. 

Also included in the contract is access to EVE’s TechCare service package. In a recent conversation with AeroTime, EVE’s Chief Commercial Officer, Megha Bhatia, explained that the advanced air mobility firm was planning to leverage the service network and customer care expertise of its parent company, aircraft maker Embraer, in order to differentiate itself within eVTOL market. 

Bluenest has already conducted eVTOL flight tests at Guanacaste Airport (LIR), in this same region of Western Costa Rica, in March 2024. On that occasion, the aircraft to be used for the tests was a two-seater pilotless EHang EH-216. 

This fully electric, conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) aircraft is one of the most promising developments in an industry that has so far struggled to match hype with tangible results. 

The CX300 ALIA, however, is very real. After many months of flight tests in the US, including a passenger-carrying landing at New York’s JFK airport, BETA Technologies has taken one of its demonstrators on a European tour.  

After showcasing it in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Paris Air Show, BETA Technologies is taking the CX300 ALIA to Norway. There, over a period of six months, it will conduct an additional round of flight tests in a real operational environment by the hand of rotorcraft operator Bristow. 

In the meantime, the BETA Technologies team back in the US will continue to work on the next iteration of the ALIA: its eVTOL version. 

AeroTime met with BETA Technologies co-founder and CEO, Kyle Clark, at the Paris Air Show in order to learn more about the CX300 ALIA and the way it works. 

Watch this video to find out what Clark told us and to catch a glimpse of the CX300 ALIA in flight, soaring above Le Bourget. 

This deal, valued at US$35 million, represents a significant endorsement for FlyNow’s rather original low-cost eVTOL concept.  

The eCopter is a unipersonal fully electric automated eVTOL which is capable of carrying either people or cargo along pre-determined routes. Among its distinctive features are its capsule-like design and tail-less configuration. FlyNow completed its first untethered eCopter flight in early June 2025. 

Since 2022 FlyNow has been compliant with the Specific Assurance and Integrity Level (SAIL) II classification for drone operations under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulatory framewors. The SAIL system ranges from I to VI, based on the level of air and ground risks involved in the operations.

Flynow is now aiming to obtain SAIL IV classification by 2027, which would enable it to perform commercial cargo operations. The plan is to, then, operate at least one million miles in cargo flights before introducing passenger flights.

The deal with Mavi Air is contingent on FlyNow obtaining the relevant permits and certifications. Therefore, there is no specific timeframe for its implementation as yet. 

“We value greatly our partnership with Mavi Air. We think it is important to collaborate with operators that have a good understanding of rotorcraft operations.” Yvonne Winter, FlyNow’s co-founder and Chief Operations Officer (COO), told Aerotime. 

The eCopters are expected to perform tourist flights, urban air mobility missions and cargo delivery services in Dubai. 

The fact that Mavi Air also has an important presence in Turkey and other markets opens up opportunities to deploy the eCopter in other geographies in the future, according to Winter. 

Although based in Austria, FlyNow has been particularly active in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. FlyNow is already collaborating with a number of local partners in the kingdom with a view to performing cargo flight tests in Jeddah in the near future. 

International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, and Level, is one such organisation that is embracing AI to enhance critical functions across its member airlines. It has developed dedicated AI labs based in Barcelona and London, where AI experts and cutting-edge technologies are deployed to address business opportunities in areas such as aircraft maintenance, customer experience, as well as maximizing operational efficiencies.

Within these two facilities, the organisation is developing a range of AI-powered solutions that are set to streamline many key parts of the Group’s airline operations in the coming years. With full support from the IAG board, each project being worked on by the two AI labs has five common objectives as its mission:

• To be value-focused;
• To have a project mindset throughout its development;
• To be ethical and responsible;
• To be developed in collaboration with IAG member airlines; and
• Have the potential to be transformational at scale.

Equally, any area that has been highlighted to potentially benefit from AI applications must be able to offer increased control, faster and more flexible solutions, and offer synergies across the member airlines, says IAG.  On June 26, 2025, AeroTime was invited to an exclusive event hosted by IAG at its AI lab in Central London, where just one example of the organization’s AI development was highlighted. 

Engine Optimization System

Earlier in 2025, IAG launched an innovative new AI system to optimise the engine maintenance function across its member airlines. Engines are a critical component of an airline’s operations, and engine technical issues can result in flight delays, disruptions, and cancellations. Equally, with supply chain issues involving engines and engine parts adversely affecting airlines worldwide, IAG identified this as one key area where AI could be used to improve on-time dispatch reliability of aircraft, which can lead to enhanced customer satisfaction levels and better overall profitability.

Designed in-house at IAG’s Barcelona AI lab, the Group’s new Engine Optimisation System (EOS) can provide engineering teams across the IAG airlines with AI-driven suggestions for the most efficient maintenance schedules of jet engines. Whereas previous engineering planning systems could only provide solutions with perhaps dozens of variables, EOS can provide millions of potential solutions based upon financial, operational, technical, and safety-related criteria.

Simply put, the new EOS software helps engineering and maintenance teams decide the best time to undertake engine maintenance, whether this be during routine aircraft maintenance inspections or if the engine needs to be removed for a full shop visit.

The new EOS system was rolled out in early 2025 and is already being used by Aer Lingus engineers to manage the airline’s stock of CFM56 engines that power the airline’s 27-strong fleet of Airbus A320-200 narrowbodies. According to IAG representatives speaking at the event, Iberia will be the next Group airline to use the EOS program, with all other IAG carriers to follow by the end of 2025.

By employing AI techniques in the development and functionality of the EOS, the new program can be used to “simplify the complexity of coordinating maintenance schedules and availability of parts as well as compliance with regulatory requirements,” said the company.

“The AI technology uses algorithms to assess millions of different scenarios and identify the optimal maintenance schedule for our fleets, reducing potential delays that can happen when parts are not available in the necessary location. Engineering and maintenance teams benefit from an intuitive, color-coded Gantt chart that suggests shop visits, available spare engines and parts, as well as timing for installations on aircraft,” IAG added.

With the development of the EOS system having been engineering-led from the outset, rather than maintenance teams being reluctant to embrace the new technology, IAG says that it has been widely accepted as the new way of working, saving engineers both time and cost as well as optimising working practices in the maintenance planning area.

What does IAG say about EOS?

“Our new Engine Optimisation System shows how IAG is using AI to tackle real-world challenges and improve maintenance across the Group,” explained Ben Dias, IAG’s Chief AI Scientist, during the event. “Transformation is at the heart of our overall business strategy and is powered by innovation, including AI.”

“By applying advanced algorithms, we are making our engine maintenance program more efficient. We are avoiding unnecessary maintenance delays to ensure that our fleet is available and in service. The system gives our people the data and tools they need for smarter planning and better teamwork,” Dias added.

While the new system has been designed purely as a tool to enhance the engineering function of the IAG member airlines, the representatives at the event did not rule out EOS being commercially offered to other airlines at some point in the future. Equally, IAG foresees the introduction of a further ten AI-led solutions over the next 18 months.

More about IAG 

International Airlines Group (IAG) is one of the world’s largest airline groups, with over 600 aircraft carrying more than 122 million customers to 260 destinations across 91 countries each year. The airline group has over 74,000 employees worldwide and recorded total earnings before tax of €4.4 billion in 2024. The Group also consists of two complementary businesses in IAG Cargo and IAG Loyalty.

As the first airline group globally to commit to net zero by 2050, sustainability is a core part of IAG’s strategy, and the rolling out of EOS is just one element of achieving this goal.

Local aircraft maker Pipistrel Aircraft is still, as of June 2025, the only manufacturer to have a fully EASA-certified electric aircraft on the market, namely the Velis Electro, all while continuing to work on a number of other innovative aircraft projects. 

Pipistrel’s leadership in the field of electric aviation hasn’t gone unnoticed in the industry, leading to US aerospace giant Textron acquiring the firm in 2022 in order to form the kernel of its new eAviation division. 

AeroTime had the opportunity to pay a visit to Pipistrel’s chalet at the 2025 Paris Air Show and speak with the company’s President and Managing Director, Gabriel Massey, who shared the latest insights about the firm’s current projects. These include not just its portfolio of light trainer aircraft and gliders, but also the NUUVA, a large cargo drone which flew for the first time in January 2025 and was on display at Le Bourget. 

How has Pipistrel Aircraft changed since the Textron acquisition? 

“Becoming part of Textron family has given Pipistrel Aircraft access to resources and expertise, for example in the field of certification, allowing us to accelerate a number of programs” explained Massey. 

“When Pipistrel joined Textron, it created eAviation, which has several subgroups. For all the good reasons, it takes time to bring new technology to aviation. eAviation is trying to demonstrate that we can bring new tech and applications into aviation and do it at a faster pace. We are building technology centers focused on bringing new products to the market. We have engineering teams in Wichita, Kansas, and another team in Munich, Germany, that develops fly-by-wire controls for drones and surveillance planes. We are also using Bell’s technology in flight controls as well as the certification expertise found within Cessna and Beechcraft. This is part of our strength,” he added. 

The Slovenian firm is currently working on the Panthera program, to develop an all-composite four-seater aircraft under Part 23 of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

“Panthera is a top priority for us. Pipistrel had already been working on it for some time. We have since been able to shape the product and are readying it for the market.” said Massey.

Once certified, the Panthera will join Pipistrel’s portfolio of light aircraft, including models which have proven popular with the flight school market, such as the Explorer and the Alpha Trainer. 

But the product for which Pipistrel gets the most attention and recognition is the nimble battery-powered Pipistrel Velis. Massey explained how Pipistrel continues to develop this aircraft so that it remains the aircraft of reference in this space.  

As of June 2025, Pipistrel had delivered more than 100 Velis Electro aircraft to over twenty countries. 35 of these are operating in France, where a leasing company called Green Aerolease has pioneered a formula to finance the adoption of electric aircraft by flight schools. 

“Financing is very important for flight schools, because they don’t always have the capital to invest in new aircraft. So, Green Aerolease has come up with a great approach to reduce that risk and they help a lot with all those aspects. We really appreciate our relationship with them.” said Massey, all while highlighting how early in its development curve electric aviation still remains. “You need to educate the banks, the airports, the insurers… we spend lots of time educating them on this [electric aviation].” 

Massey sees interesting perspectives for the Velis Electro in the US market, the largest flight training market in the world by far. In 2024, the Velis Electro was given an exemption by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which made it possible for the Velis Electro to register as a light sports plane. This is not yet full certification, but it has opened the door for flight schools to use it.   

Having a serially produced aircraft operating in the real world confers Pipistrel a non-trivial advantage when it comes to continuing to improve the product. 

“We are learning a lot [about the Velis Electro], because of the enormous amount of data coming in from operations, maintenance and so on,” Massey said. ”So, we roll out changes on a regular basis. For example, we are expanding the operational envelope at low temperatures, now you can operate the Velis Electro at –15 C, whereas previously it was not possible in subzero temperatures. Likewise, we have released our second generation battery and are already working on the third generation.” 

Pipistrel is making sure all these changes are retrofittable into the existing fleets.  

“This is a part of our strategy. It is important to us, and we want to make clear, that you don’t need to wait [to get your Velis Electro], because tech is getting better with time.” 

Massey admitted that public attitudes towards environmental measures have had swings. Nevertheless, Pipistrel remains committed to green aviation. 

“The sentiment out there goes up and down, but we continue investing to understand electric technology better,” he said. 

In addition to the environmental benefits of the battery-powered aircraft, Pipistrel is also pitching the Velis Electro low operational cost and noise profile, which makes it a particularly suitable option for flight schools or airports located in areas that are sensitive to noise. 

“This is why [electric aviation] is going to be adopted regardless of the other conversation [about the environment], but it takes time, education and demonstration,” he added. 

Pipistrel is also investing in hybrid-electric aviation and has been an active participant also in EU-backed projects, such as the now wound-down MAHEPA program, to demonstrate the feasibility of hydrogen-electric aircraft.  

In this regard, the first ever piloted flight of an aircraft using liquid hydrogen, which was performed by German firm H2FLY (a subsidiary of Joby Aviation) in September 2023, was actually made using a Pipistrel aircraft as a testbank. 

The Slovenian firm is also diversifying into new markets, such as drones and unmanned platforms, for both commercial and government-related applications 

The 2025 Paris Air Show was the public debut of the NUUVA V300, a large cargo drone which flew for the first time in January of this same year.  

A first prototype of the NUUVA is undergoing flight testing, with a second airframe expected to join the program before the end of 2025. 

“People are not really using large cargo drones today, so we are talking with lots of potential users in order to refine the product and its use cases.” explained Massey. He added that the NUUVA could provide an efficient way to reach hard-to-get places, for example in logistics or humanitarian missions. Alternatively, it could have military uses, as a way to resupply troops in contested environments. 

“Now there’s a lot of talk about defense spending and this is also having an impact on product development,” Massey concluded. “The world is shifting. Nuuva is next and we have a lot more down our development pipeline.”  

On June 15, 2025, Eve published its Global Market Outlook, which forecasts a global eVTOL fleet of 30,000 aircraft and a US$280 billion revenue potential by 2045. 

And, while some critics of the nascent air mobility industry have pointed out the uncertainty regarding the degree of freedom that eVTOLs will have to operate in highly regulated urban airspace, Eve sees urban air mobility as the primary driver of this prospective market. 

AeroTime spoke with Eve’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Megha Bhatia, to get the latest update on the status of this Brazilian eVTOL program and how it is expected to fit into this tentative growth scenario. 

Bhatia explained that by releasing the latest Global Market Outlook, Eve is sharing some of the data and thought processes that the company uses internally to define its strategies. 

“This felt this was the right time to share our market outlook,” she said. “We believe this is a pragmatic outlook, after seeing how the industry is evolving and considering what we are learning from our customers. We want to ensure that we set the industry up for success. We are currently at a tipping point when things are starting to become real.”  

Betting on global eVTOL adoption 

“Urbanization is going to be the key driver,” Bhatia explained, adding that by 2050, an additional two billion people will be living in large cities, placing a huge strain on ground infrastructure, and stimulating new forms of transportation that enable time savings. 

“Around 80% of our total addressable market is made of last mile journeys or short urban hops, including airport to city transfers,” she stated. 

Even if Eve’s most optimistic scenarios come to fruition, this would only represent around 0.1% of all urban movements and around 2% of total air movements, according to Bhatia. 

With its roots in Brazil, Eve Air Mobility has firsthand exposure to what is currently the world’s largest civilian helicopter ride market, the city of Sao Paulo. In this regard, Bhatia explained that rather than replacing helicopters, Eve sees eVTOLs as complementary. 

“We have been talking with helicopter operators which see eVTOLs as a way to diversify their fleets and access places where they can’t operate at the moment because of noise restrictions,” she said. 

It is worth noting that the current global helicopter fleet is made up of around 27,000 rotorcraft, a number not that far off the 30,000 eVTOLs Eve expects to be in operation two decades from now. 

Ready for takeoff 

Embraer, the parent company of Eve, showcased its future eVTOL in a dedicated pavilion at this year’s Paris Air Show, allowing AeroTime close access to the mockup airframe. 

A first prototype has already been tested on the ground in Brazil and is expected to perform its initial test flights before the end of 2025. 

“Our goal is to start flight tests with the engineering prototype, with a projected certification date of 2027,” Bhatia said. “We aim to achieve primary certification with ENAC [Brazil’s aviation regulator – ed. note] although, just as we did with the [Embraer] E2, we will also pursue a concurring certification with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as allowed by bilateral agreements. And we are talking with other civil aviation authorities globally, as well.”  

While some advanced air mobility developers have looked at the Middle East as an early launchpad for eVTOL services, Bhatia underlined that Eve’s strategy will remain to pursue certification at home in Brazil first. 

“We will stick to our methodology and work with ENAC first,” she stated firmly. 

When it comes to the product pitch, Bhatia was very straightforward about the importance of the Embraer link as a guarantee of technical prowess and solidity.  

“We are leveraging Embraer’s expertise in designing, producing and certifying aircraft as well as having access to technologies such as fly-by-wire and Embraer’s global customer service network, which will be available to our clients from day one,” she said.  

Additionally, Bhatia admitted that there is still some work to do when it comes to preparing this service network, and the company is working with a number of partners, such as Signature Aviation, to be ready for the moment the aircraft comes into service. 

As of June 2025, Eve has an order book, mostly comprising Letters of Intent (LoIs) rather than firm orders, worth US$14.5 billion, while the related services program backlog is at around US$1.6 billion. 

On June 12, 2025, JetZero announced it had selected a site in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the location of its future production facility, a project that is expected to bring more than 14,500 jobs to the state. 

JetZero will join Boom Supersonic, another disruptive aerospace startup which has selected Greensboro as the city in which it will build its clean-sheet supersonic aircraft. 

AeroTime spoke with North Carolina Governor Josh Stein during the Paris Air Show to find out more about what is drawing this new wave of ambitious aircraft makers to his state. 

“We were first in flight, and we are the future of flight,” Stein stated proudly at the start of our conversation, referring to the Wright Brothers’ first ever powered flight, which took place on the beach of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. 

Stein also pointed out that these investments are not happening in a vacuum. North Carolina is currently home to some 400 companies that are active in the aerospace industry, contributing a combined $88 billion to the state’s economy. This includes names such as Honda Jet, GE Aerospace and Pratt & Wittney, in addition to a myriad of other smaller firms that produce a broad range of aerospace parts, components and systems. 

However, all of this pales in comparison to the scale of the latest announcement by JetZero. 

“It is the largest job creation announcement in the history of North Carolina,” Stein said. 

He also explained that North Carolina runs a program to stimulate investment in the state, which includes some conditional support for firms establishing operations. The disbursement of these funds is dependent on the firms hitting some capital investment and job creation goals. 

“If they succeed, we help them to succeed. But if they don’t succeed, our taxpayers don’t lose any money,” he said. 

Stein elaborated further on the JetZero investment. “The way we look at it is that JetZero and the state of North Carolina are now partners, and we want our partner to succeed, because when JetZero succeeds, its thousands of employees succeed, the community of Greensboro succeeds, the state of North Carolina succeeds, and, frankly, so does the whole world.” 

“They [JetZero] are producing an airplane that will consume half the fuel and produce half the emissions compared to a traditional plane, so that’s good for the world.” he added. 

In addition to the financial and institutional support, Stein alluded to one more advantage his state can offer prospective aerospace investors – the weather.  

“We love Seattle, but it rains a lot,” he said. “The weather in North Carolina is always perfect.”  

Stein concluded by referring to yet another element that is essential to the development of a thriving aerospace ecosystem: the availability of a pool of skilled labor. 

“We produce incredible engineers. We have five Tier 1 universities, three of which are engineering schools,” he said. “But we also produce skilled workers. We have the largest manufacturing workforce in the southeast and an excellent community college system that can develop targeted curricula for the unique needs of employers.” 

All of this, Stein said, makes North Carolina a “very attractive” place for corporations to locate themselves. 

If all goes according to plan, JetZero expects to reach full production capacity making 20 aircraft per month at its North Carolina facility by the early 2030s. 

The update is focused on a newly implemented system for producing carbon fiber parts. According to Samson Sky, this new process reduces production costs by 50% and increases part fabrication speed by 800% compared to traditional carbon fiber manufacturing methods.

“This allows us to scale faster and keep pricing competitive. […] We’ve integrated this process directly into how we prepare each vehicle,” Michael Maxwell, Samson Sky Chief of Research and Development, explained in the statement.

The new manufacturing system is part of Samson’s enhanced Builder Assist Program, which is designed to help customers comply with FAA rules requiring them to complete at least 51% of the construction for Experimental Category aircraft.

The manufacturer states that, instead of relying on manual labor or specialized skills, customers will use computer-guided machinery to produce their portion of the two-seat flying sports car. Automation will ensure precise part fabrication while significantly reducing manual effort. After the customer completes their share of the build, Samson’s technicians will handle the final assembly and perform thorough quality inspections.

The updated manufacturing system has reduced the time customers will need to spend at Samson’s Build Center from over three weeks to just one. The new carbon fiber production method is also more environmentally efficient, producing fewer emissions and generating less waste than conventional approaches.

Switchblade: a two-seat hybrid-electric vehicle for road and air

The Switchblade is a three-wheel, street-legal flying sports car designed for both road and air travel. This two-seat, hybrid-electric vehicle can be parked in a standard garage and driven to a nearby airport using local roads or highways. In under three minutes, its wings extend and its tail deploys, transforming it into a registered aircraft ready for flight.

With a cruising speed of 160 mph and a range of up to 450 miles on a single tank of premium auto fuel, the Switchblade allows travelers to fly to their destination and then switch back to driving mode for the final leg. Its compact design includes space for two passengers and luggage.

Samson Sky currently has over 2,400 reservation holders across more than 50 countries. The company plans to begin customer deliveries in 2026.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AeroTime. 

For decades, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) like GPS have been the invisible backbone of modern aviation, enabling precise navigation, timing, and safety across millions of flights worldwide. As reliance on satellite signals has grown, so have their vulnerabilities. In recent years, a surge in GPS jamming and spoofing incidents, driven by both state and non-state actors, has exposed the fragility of the system, threatening flight safety and operational integrity on a global scale. 

A new generation of navigation technologies is emerging, poised to render GPS not just optional, but potentially obsolete. From quantum sensors to stellar navigation, innovators like Q-CTRL and France’s Astradia are leading a technological revolution that could fundamentally reshape how aircraft find their way in the world. 

The GPS vulnerability crisis 

GNSS underpins everything from enroute navigation and precision approaches to air traffic management and collision avoidance. However, GPS signals, transmitted from satellites orbiting 20,000 km above, are inherently weak by the time they reach Earth. This makes them highly susceptible to interference by relatively low-power ground-based devices. 

Jamming: The loud silence 

GPS jamming occurs when ground-based devices intentionally transmit signals that overpower those from GNSS satellites, causing aircraft navigation systems to lose reliable position and timing information. According to Aireon’s April 2025 white paper, the scale and severity of GPS jamming has increased significantly in recent years, particularly in regions experiencing military conflict such as Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Aireon’s global, space-based ADS-B data confirms that civil aircraft are regularly exposed to jamming spillover, resulting in navigation outages and the need for pilots to revert to backup methods like Inertial Reference Systems or DME. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) issued a safety bulletin in July 2024 warning of the growing operational impact of GPS interference, with some models estimating an 80% increase in GPS outage events between 2021 and 2024. Hundreds of daily flights are now affected in the most impacted regions, making GPS jamming a persistent hazard for international aviation 

Spoofing: The invisible threat 

Even more insidious than jamming is GPS spoofing, where counterfeit signals are broadcast to mislead aircraft receivers into calculating false positions and times. Aireon’s data and OPSGROUP estimates indicate that spoofing attacks surged by as much as 500% over the course of 2024. Spoofing incidents have been widely reported over Europe, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea, with Aireon’s ADS-B analytics revealing improbable flight tracks, sudden position jumps of over 20 nautical miles, and “ghost aircraft” appearing on radar. Such anomalies can create significant risks, including mid-air collision hazards and loss of situational awareness. 

A particularly dangerous consequence of GPS spoofing is its impact on the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS). When an aircraft’s spoofed position erroneously indicates proximity to terrain, the EGPWS may issue false terrain warnings. This can cause a startle effect amongst pilots and can be highly disruptive, as they may instinctively initiate unnecessary evasive maneuvers, potentially compromising flight safety. In current practice, when crews suspect their aircraft is in an area where they may encounter spoofing, the recommended mitigation is to switch off the EGPWS system to avoid these false warnings, though this, in turn, removes a critical layer of terrain awareness protection. 

Q-CTRL’s Quantum navigation: a new paradigm 

Amid this crisis, Sydney-based Q-CTRL has pioneered a GPS-free quantum navigation system called Ironstone Opal. Leveraging the Earth’s magnetic field and quantum sensors, Ironstone Opal provides precise positioning without any reliance on satellite signals. 

How it works: 

• Quantum magnetic anomaly detection: Ultra-sensitive quantum magnetometers detect subtle, location-specific variations in the Earth’s magnetic field, which serve as natural “fingerprints” for navigation. 

• AI-enhanced signal processing: Machine learning filters out noise from aircraft electronics and the environment, isolating genuine magnetic signals for accurate positioning. 

• Self-contained operation: Ironstone Opal operates entirely onboard, immune to jamming and spoofing, and requires no external signals. 

Performance and trials 

Flight tests in 2025 demonstrated 46x lower positioning error compared to traditional INS, achieving 10-meter accuracy in diverse environments. The system is compact enough for drones and small aircraft and has already secured a $1 million defense contract for further development. 

Advantages: 

• Immunity to GPS interference: No reliance on satellites eliminates jamming/spoofing risks. 

• Privacy and security: Self-contained system reduces cyber vulnerabilities. 

• Operational resilience: Enables navigation in GPS-denied environments, including polar regions and conflict zones. 

Astradia: Stellar navigation makes GPS “officially obsolete” 

While quantum navigation has captured headlines, a French start-up is now making global waves with a radically different approach. Astradia, developed by Sodern (a subsidiary of ArianeGroup), is the world’s first daytime star tracker for aviation navigation, hailed as “revolutionary” and “the first system to render GPS officially obsolete”. 

How Astradia works: 

Astradia leverages stellar navigation technology, using a star tracker to determine precise position and orientation by referencing the fixed positions of stars. Unlike GPS, which relies on vulnerable radio signals, Astradia is immune to jamming and spoofing. 

• Day and night operation: Advanced optics and algorithms allow Astradia to function in all lighting conditions, extending stellar navigation beyond its traditional nighttime limits. 

• No reliance on radio signals: Because it uses celestial objects, Astradia is unaffected by electromagnetic interference, jamming, or spoofing. 

• Aerospace-grade precision: Developed with space industry heritage, Astradia offers accuracy suitable for both civilian and military aviation. 

Aviation implications 

Astradia’s independence from all radio-frequency signals means it can serve as a robust backup, or even a primary navigation source, in environments where GPS is denied or unreliable. Its commercial launch in May 2025, timed for the Paris Air Show, signals a paradigm shift in navigation technology. 

Competing technologies and industry responses 

Aireon’s space-based monitoring 

Aireon’s GPS Interference Metric uses a network of 66 low-Earth orbit satellites to detect jamming and spoofing in real time. While it doesn’t replace GPS, it provides critical situational awareness for air traffic controllers and airlines, helping them respond quickly to disruptions. 

Safran’s anti-jamming and anti-spoofing filters 

Safran Aerospace integrates multi-constellation GNSS receivers with inertial measurement units and cryptographic verification to filter out spoofed signals. While effective against basic attacks, sophisticated spoofers can still bypass these defenses, highlighting the need for more fundamental solutions. 

The EU’s multi-technology PNT initiative 

The European Union’s 2025 Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) program tests multiple technologies to reduce GPS dependence, including quantum timing, enhanced LORAN (eLORAN), and optical ground systems. This diversified approach reflects the complexity of replacing GPS and the absence of a single silver bullet. 

Technical and adoption challenges 

Sensor miniaturization and integration 

Quantum magnetometers typically require cryogenic cooling, posing challenges for aircraft integration. Q-CTRL’s partnership with Advanced Navigation aims to develop shoebox-sized, portable quantum sensors by 2027. 

Geomagnetic map resolution 

Current geomagnetic maps have resolutions around 50 km, insufficient for precision approaches. Q-CTRL uses AI to generate hyperlocal magnetic maps, but widespread adoption will require extensive flight data collection. 

Regulatory certification 

No quantum or stellar navigation system has yet received certification from major aviation authorities. The UK’s 2025 quantum navigation trials on Royal Navy vessels mark early regulatory engagement, but broader certification remains a multi-year process. 

The future: Hybrid systems and global navigation resilience 

Industry experts foresee a hybrid navigation future combining: 

• Quantum navigation for GPS-denied environments 

• Stellar navigation as a radio-signal-independent backup 

• AI-driven spoofing detection to flag anomalies in real time 

• Multi-sensor fusion integrating GNSS, INS, quantum sensors, and RF geolocation 

For example, Spire’s Radio Frequency Geolocation (RFGL) system uses satellite triangulation to independently verify aircraft positions. Similarly, APG’s NaviGuard employs machine learning to detect spoofing patterns in real time. 

As the United Nations and aviation safety agencies express “grave concern” over the increasing incidents of interference affecting global navigation infrastructure, the race intensifies between quantum innovators like Q-CTRL, stellar pioneers like Astradia, and evolving spoofing technologies. The industry’s survival may hinge on rendering GPS optional rather than essential. 

Navigating the next era 

The vulnerabilities of GPS have become a critical aviation security challenge, with jamming and spoofing incidents escalating rapidly worldwide. Traditional backups like Inertial Navigation are insufficient for the demands of modern aviation, especially in contested or remote environments. 

Q-CTRL’s quantum navigation and Astradia’s stellar navigation represent groundbreaking steps toward a GPS-independent future, offering unparalleled accuracy and resilience. However, significant technical, regulatory, and operational hurdles remain before widespread adoption. Complementary technologies from Aireon, Safran, and EU initiatives underscore that no single solution will suffice. Instead, a layered, hybrid approach is emerging as the path forward. 

As the aviation industry navigates this complex transition, the ultimate goal is clear: to ensure safe, reliable, and secure navigation for all aircraft, even in the face of sophisticated interference and geopolitical instability. The quantum and stellar revolutions in navigation may well be the key to unlocking that future. 

ASL Group, an executive aviation firm with bases in Belgium and the Netherlands, will be the first commercial operator of Vaeridion’s all-electric, nine-seater Microliner, as soon as it has completed its certification process. 

The initial market for Microliner flights will be business travelers, although the plan is to branch out into other segments of the market, including leisure flights and even scheduled services, at a later stage.  

This has been a rather eventful edition of the Paris Air Show for Munich-based Vaeridion, which also announced a raft of agreements with multiple partners that will help the company move forward with the commercial launch of the Microliner, which is scheduled to take place by the end of the decade. 

Vaeridion is also entering into a partnership with Evolito, a maker of high-performance electric motors, and MT- Propeller Entwicklung, a German manufacturer of natural composite propeller systems. Vaeridion is working with both partners in order to integrate the Microliner into their respective technology solutions, high-performance electric motors and the 7-blade “Silent 7” next-generation composite propeller, respectively. 

The establishment of strategic partnerships across the European aviation ecosystem plays a key role in Vaeridion’s go-to-market roadmap.  

During the Paris Air Show, the electric aircraft startup also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), which will support Vaeridion’s flight testing program as well as other aspects of the project, such as systems validation and regulatory compliance. 

Vaeridion has also set up a market advisory committee which gathers operators, lessors and other services providers, such as Aero-Dienst, Cirium, Copenhagen Air Taxi, CPH Helicopters, IBA, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, MBA, Monte and TrueNoord, as well as launch customer, ASL Group. 

No specific buyer or group of buyers has been named in the transaction. This amount of fresh capital has been obtained through the sale of 85,000,000 shares of common stock. The placement price of $10 was slightly below Archer’s stock price at the time of the announcement, which was around $11.7 per share. 

In its press statement announcing the new capital increase, Archer linked this development to the issuance by President Trump of a new executive order on June 6, 2025, which aims to accelerate the development of advanced air mobility projects in the United States. 

Among other policies, this executive order established the legal framework for the launch of an Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Under the auspices of this initiative, five pilot eVTOL projects will serve as trailblazers to advance the integration of eVTOLs into the US airspace system. 

Although no specific eVTOL program has yet been designated for the eIPP, this executive order has been regarded by many in the industry as a strong endorsement by the current administration of the many different advanced air mobility projects currently underway in the country. Archer has been the object of particular attention since it was selected to be a mobility partner of the US Olympic Team for the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. 

According to Archer, this capital injection brings the company’s pro forma liquidity position to approximately $2 billion. 

The deal was announced just a few days after investment research firm Culper Research published a highly critical report, in which it accused Archer of having misrepresented some aspects of its product development and putting in doubt the company’s stated road to market. Archer denied all of these allegations and countered that the object of the report was to advance the interest of short sellers. 

To complete this particular tour-de-force, Archer also confirmed that its CEO, Adam Goldstein, is expected to meet with the United States Secretary of Transportation, Sean P. Duffy, and acting FAA administrator, Chris Rocheleau, at the 2025 Paris Air Show. 

Dawn Aerospace’s ‘Aurora’ aircraft is designed to be capable of making multiple trips per day to the vicinity of the Karman Line – the altitude that demarcates the boundary of space, widely considered to be around 100 kilometers from the ground. 

The startup, which has so far been performing its flight tests in New Zealand, has signed an agreement with the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) to operate the Aurora Mk II aircraft out of the Oklahoma Air and Space Port in Burns Flat, western Oklahoma, from 2027. 

Because of the frequent reutilization of the Aurora Mk II aircraft, it is expected that each flight will cost in the low hundreds of thousands of dollars, facilitating testing and experimentation on the effects of microgravity. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Dawn Aerospace will supply the aircraft and ground control station and will base its own operations team on site, while educational and research institutions in Oklahoma will have free access to the aircraft for research purposes for the first year of operations. 

The Aurora Mk II is an unmanned, remotely operated aircraft with a payload of 5 kg (11 lbs). As of early June 2025, Dawn Aerospace has conducted 58 successful test flights of the Aurora prototype, including its first supersonic flight in November 2024. In May 2025, the startup announced that it had opened its order book and was starting to accept orders from any commercial operators interested in acquiring its future suborbital aircraft. 

This large-scale industrial facility will be adjacent to Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) and is expected to be capable of building up to 20 Z4 aircraft per month.  

When it reaches full production capacity, by the late 2030s, JetZero could employ a staff of around 14,000. 

“North Carolina offers the ideal combination of talent, infrastructure, and forward-thinking leadership to support our mission to reshape aviation,” said Tom O’Leary, JetZero’s CEO and co-founder, in the press statement announcing this investment ahead of the 2025 Paris Air Show. 

Work on the construction of the new Greensboro facility will begin in 2026, with the plant expected to start production at the start of the next decade. 

JetZero is seeking to change the paradigm in the aircraft manufacturing industry by introducing a totally novel, clean-sheet design. While conventionally powered, it has the potential to halve fuel consumption and carbon emissions when compared to legacy aircraft of the same size.  

Although it has been in the market for barely two years, JetZero has already garnered the interest of major aerospace players such as the US Department of Defense, which is funding part of its development program, as well as large airlines such as Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, which have seen promise in the concept. 

While many airports grind to a halt under a few centimeters of snow, Arctic Circle airports stay open year round, and are welcoming an increasing number of flights each year. AeroTime headed up to Ivalo Airport (IVL), around 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, to discover just how they manage to keep operating smoothly in some of the harshest conditions in the world.

Meet the machines that keep Arctic Circle airports open

Ivalo Airport is the gateway to some of Lapland’s most unspoilt scenery. It’s a haven for snow sports lovers, with opportunities to ski, snowmobile and drive sleds pulled by huskies across the vast wilderness. Compared to the more popular (and some would say overtouristed) Rovaniemi, it’s a taste of the real Lapland just a couple of hours away from Helsinki.

Despite enduring around 200 days of snow each year, with snow cover lasting from October to May, Ivalo has never closed due to weather. In fact, all five of Finavia’s Lapland airports – Rovaniemi (RVN), Kittilä (KTT), Ivalo, Kuusamo (KAO), and Kemi-Tornio (KEM) – have remained open and operational even in the harshest of winters.

That’s thanks to a formidable fleet of snow-clearing machines and Finavia’s extensive experience in managing winter operations. At the heart of the snow-clearing team are a group of enormous machines that can plow, sweep, and blow the snow away.

The process begins with a nine-meter plow with a spring-loaded cutting edge that attacks the ice and snow at the root. Behind that, a dense broom made up of stiff wire bristles sweeps stubborn ice from the runway surface. Finally, a powerful air blower sucks up loose ice and snow, shooting it away from the runway at speeds of more than 240 miles an hour.

Joining the convoy in Ivalo are various other tractor-mounted machines that scrape, plow, blow and smash the ice from the runway surface to make it safe for aircraft.

Speedy snow clearance and just-in-time strategies

Seeing these awesome beasts in action was incredible. While snow clearance of roads in the winter can be slow and painstaking, these machines really move. Traveling at speeds of 30 miles an hour or more, they shift tons of snow and ice in seconds, clearing the whole runway in a matter of minutes.

Freezing rain is the worst condition for Arctic Circle airports. While snow is relatively easy to remove, freezing rain creates a sheet of solid ice, which is far trickier to scrape off the runway. At Ivalo Airport, where flights are infrequent, timing is of the essence when the freezing rain hits.

Rather than trying to keep the runway clear at all times, Ivalo lets the snow settle, only sending the machines out when a flight is incoming. “We let the snow act as a shield against freezing rain and clear it only just before the aircraft arrives,” explained Ivalo Airport Manager Jarmo Pyhäjärvi.

Chemical deicing plays a role too. Potassium formate is Finavia’s eco-friendly choice, melting stubborn ice quickly and helping prevent reformation for hours. 

Across all its airports, sunken sensors in the runway surface keep the operator informed of conditions and alerted to incoming weather. “We can know sometimes two, three or even four hours in advance that the snow is coming,” explained Pyhäjärvi.

Ivalo has a very small workforce, with just 25 employees in the summer months. During winter, that headcount doubles to around 50, with 15 people dedicated to keeping the snow away. Even so, with such a small team, Ivalo Airport staff have to be trained in multiple roles and prepared to shift gears at a moment’s notice.

“Many of the staff will have a double role,” said Finavia’s communications manager Elina Suominen. “One minute they might be checking in a bag, the next they’re doing security, or driving a snow plough.”

Innovations are making Arctic Circle airports even safer

Keeping Arctic airports operational isn’t just about brute force machinery; it’s also about innovation. Both Finavia and its Nordic counterparts are investing in autonomous snow-clearing technology to boost efficiency and reduce emissions.

At Ivalo Airport, Finavia has partnered with Finnish firms including Vammas, Neste, Nokian Tyres, and Valtra to develop autonomous snowplows capable of operating with minimal human input. The goal is to enable unmanned clearance during low-traffic periods, with biodiesel-powered tractors automatically clearing snow using pre-programmed waypoints.

Sweden’s airport operator Swedavia has taken a similar approach. This winter, it tested eight autonomous Vammas PSB machines at Stockholm Arlanda, with plans to eventually integrate them into routine winter operations. 

Oslo Airport has already gone a step further, deploying driverless snowplows as part of regular runway maintenance since 2021. Controlled by the Yeti Autonomy Service Platform (YASP), these machines optimize fuel use and coordinate seamlessly, promising safer and more sustainable snow removal.

These autonomous systems aim to cut emissions, reduce staffing strain, and future-proof Arctic airport infrastructure. The ultimate ambition: predictable, climate-resilient operations even in the most challenging weather imaginable.

Increasing numbers of travelers are visiting the Arctic Circle

Despite its remote location, the Arctic is no longer out of reach for air travelers. Finnish Lapland has seen a sharp increase in winter tourism, with 1.8 million passengers passing through Finavia’s five Arctic Circle airports in 2024, up nearly 20% year-on-year.

As Arctic tourism grows, keeping these airports running smoothly isn’t just about safety – it’s a vital enabler of economic development and global connectivity. With their net zero emissions targets, innovative equipment, and round-the-clock resilience, airports like Ivalo demonstrate that even the coldest places on Earth can stay open for business.

President Trump wants these regulations, which, for all practical purposes place a ban on civilian supersonic flights in the US, replaced with a new interim noise-based certification standard. 

This executive order, which has been signed alongside another one aimed at boosting the emerging US drone industry, directs the Administrator of the FAA to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to establish the new noise standards for supersonic aircraft under 14 CFR Part 36.  

It also requires the relevant federal agencies to evaluate the feasibility of integrating supersonic flight operations in US airspace management systems and to engage in conversation with their counterparts in other countries to define an analogous international framework. 

This decision has been welcomed by supersonic flight entrepreneurs, such as Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. This startup has been working already for a number of years on a supersonic airliner, called “Overture”, which has garnered the interest of a number of operators, such as United Airlines.  

Proponents of supersonic flight revival claim that technological advances make it possible to develop an aircraft with a low sonic boom. This concept was successfully tested in January 2025 with the first flight of Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator over the Mojave Desert, California. 

While this executive order may fast-track regulatory changes, it is not the only initiative to change the existing legal framework hampering the development of civilian supersonic flight in the United States. 

In May 2025, Senator Ted Budd, from North Carolina, introduced the ‘SAM (Supersonic Aviation Modernization) Act’, which aims to codify a new noise-based approach to supersonic flight regulation and build a long-term legislative framework for the development of supersonic travel in the US. 

The executive order, which has been unambiguously titled “Unleashing American drone dominance”, outlines a number of measures to accelerate the adoption of drone and eVTOL technology in the US in, both, civilian and military roles while also boosting drone manufacturing and exports. 

The order establishes concrete and rather ambitious timelines for regulatory changes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is required to propose, within 30 days of the order’s signature, new rules to enable routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations for commercial and public safety purposes. These new rules should be based on clear metrics and will be the basis for the final set of regulations, which will be published within 240 days. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is also expected to play a role in streamlining drone waiver applications. The order requires the Department of Transportation to deploy AI tools to conduct risk assessments and simplify the approval process.  

The order also expresses a need for drone operations to be subject to a less onerous approval process than manned aircraft. It also requires the Secretary of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to propose a roadmap for the integration of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into the US national airspace system. 

In the field of advanced air mobility, the executive order sets up an Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This project, which will have an initial duration of three years (and can be prolonged after this term) is considered an extension of the BEYOND program, an initiative launched by the FAA in 2020 to advance the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles into the airspace system. 

Five eVTOL programs will be selected and placed under the auspices of the eIPP program. An initial report on the program’s progress will be submitted to the President within 180 days of its launch, with annual reports following thereafter. The findings of this program will be the basis for regulation enabling the permanent integration of eVTOL operations in the US airspace. 

The US administration will also increase the scrutiny of the drone supply chain, in order to limit the use of key components originating in countries that are considered adversaries of the US. It also decrees that all US agencies should prioritize whenever possible, US-made drones. Exports to friendly countries will also be supported by granting prirority access to government-sponsored loans, guarantees, political risk insurance and other forms of market access facilitation. 

The executive order calls also for an assessment of low-cost, high-performance drone technology options available to the US military, with all branches of service asked to identify promising drone programs. It also envisages an expansion of the airspace devoted to drone-related military training activities. 

The recently signed agreement sets a framework for the two companies to cooperate in the development of advanced air mobility (AAM) business opportunities in Saudi Arabia.  

The announcement also hints at a potential order from the Saudi company for 200 of Joby’s eVTOL aircraft and the related services. If confirmed, the deal will be worth around US$1 billion, which would make it the largest single order received by Joby to date. 

However, the collaboration between the two companies might not stop there. Both parties will also evaluate the possibility of cooperating in the launch and operation of advanced air mobility services in the Kingdom as well as the possibility of the Saudi group becoming Joby’s distributor in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region. 

In this regard, it is pertinent to highlight the fact that the Jameel family, which owns the Abdul Latif Jameel group, has been an investor in Joby since at least 2020.  

What’s more, the Saudi group can trace its roots back to its decades-long activity as Toyota’s official distributor in Saudi Arabia. The Japanese company also happens to be an early investor in Joby, and, after the closing of the latest US$500 million funding round, it is also the largest shareholder in the advanced air mobility company. 

Saudi Arabia has become a focus market for Joby, as well as for other leading eVTOL developers. In addition to Joby, other market players such as Archer, EVE, EHang and FlyNow have flocked to Saudi Arabia to raise capital and in the expectation of a favorable environment for an early launch of commercial operations.  

The advanced air mobility industry is expected to play a major role when it comes to fulfilling the country’s aerospace ambitions, as outlined by the road map published in 2024 by Saudi Arabia’s aviation regulator, GACA. 

The flight was carried out by Archer’s Chief Test Pilot Jeff Greenwood and included conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL), showcasing the robustness and versatility of Midnight’s landing gear and flight control systems. The aircraft reached speeds of up to 200 km/h (125 mph) and flew at altitudes exceeding 460 meters (1,500 feet) above ground level. 

“This phase builds on years of autonomous flight testing that validated our 12 tilt-6 VTOL configuration,” said Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer. “Midnight’s CTOL and VTOL capabilities are a strong differentiator for us, as they enable flexible, safe operations across diverse environments.” 

In the coming weeks, Archer’s test pilots will focus on validating Midnight’s flight control responsiveness, stability, and aerodynamic performance.  

Data gathered during these flights will support certification activities with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in the United Arab Emirates, where Archer is also seeking commercial deployment opportunities. In late April 2025, the company received approval to convert the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal helipad into a hybrid heliport for helicopters and eVTOL aircraft. 

Greenwood, who previously served as a test pilot for Bell Textron and flew combat missions during his 13-year career in the US Marine Corps, praised the aircraft’s handling characteristics. 

“Flying Midnight felt just like flying the simulator—everything responded exactly as we trained for,” Greenwood said. “It’s a testament to the team’s engineering rigor and focus on safety.” 

Archer is targeting 2025 for Midnight’s commercial entry into service, positioning the aircraft as a short-range, sustainable air mobility solution for urban and regional transport. 

To the present-day observer an autogyro may look similar to a helicopter (a type of aircraft that didn’t exist during De la Cierva’s lifetime). However, these are two entirely different categories of aircraft.  

While a helicopter moves its rotor blades to generate both lift and movement, the rotor is not powered in an autogyro, rather it spins naturally. The autogyro generates lift as air flows through the blades, while a powered engine (often located at the rear of the aircraft) propels the aircraft forward. 

Unlike a helicopter, an autogyro is unable to take off or land vertically, nor can it hover (except in the case of a few hybrid models which are able to power the blades during these stages of flight). A gyroplane is also not a fixed-winged aircraft, since the thrust generated by the overhead rotor makes the wings unnecessary. 

Autogyros, however, do have some impressive short takeoff and landing capabilities, with some models requiring no more than a dozen meters of runway. 

Thanks to this operational flexibility, De la Cierva’s concept soon caught the eye of a number of investors and industrialists who helped him perfect his design and launch several versions of this aircraft throughout the 1920s and 30s.  

The gyroplane was one of the promising technologies tested during those inter-war years of nearly unrestrained aerospace experimentation. However, despite seeing some rather limited service in the Second World War, the gyroplane was soon to be eclipsed by the emergence of the helicopter as the rotorcraft of choice for most missions, both civilian and military. 

A last major effort to revive the autogyro concept in the post-war years, the Fairey Rotodyne program, was abandoned in the early 1960s. British aircraft maker Fairey Aviation had been working on the development of a large gyroplane with capacity for nearly 50 passengers. However, these plans were shelved shortly after the company was acquired and folded into helicopter-maker Westland.  

The gyroplane resurgence 

Autogyros have continued to appeal to a relatively small, but staunchly loyal segment of the aerospace community, with a number of companies carrying the torch into the present day.  

What’s more, as the aerospace industry enters another era of unmitigated innovation, autogyros seem to be gaining favor with the public again. Its proponents hail their low operating costs, particularly when compared to helicopters, and their technical simplicity and ease of use. 

Autogyros are not only said to be relatively easy to learn how to fly, but autorotation, one of its defining characteristics, also makes them relatively safe in case of an emergency landing. While autorotation in a helicopter is a rather complex maneuver, which the pilot needs to execute within a very short time window in order to prevent the rotorcraft from crashing, an autogyro gets into autorotation by default. 

Gyroplane manufacturers such as Germany’s AutoGyro, Italy’s Magni Gyro and Spain’s ELA Aviación, all report a surge in interest in this type of aircraft. 

Magni Gyro, for example, has sold 500 gyroplanes in the last eight years alone. For comparison, it took more than four decades for the family-owned firm, based near Milan, to sell its first 1,000 units. 

Speaking to AeroTime, Chiara Curioni,  Sales and Marketing Manager at Magni Gyro, explained how private aviation enthusiasts have come to appreciate the ease with which they can learn to fly a gyroplane and its ability to land in all sorts of terrain, including rocky areas and dry riverbeds. She also said that the aircraft’s low operational cost is another powerful draw. 

This is echoed by Cristina Alonso, Marketing Manager at ELA Aviación, who told AeroTime that the firm is gearing up to increase production from one to two or even three aircraft per week in response to market demand. 

“Many people had heard of De La Cierva and the aircraft he developed a century ago,” Alonso stated. “But most were not aware that you can get an autogyro today and that it takes no more than 15 hours to learn how to fly it.” 

In addition to having launched a more upmarket model with an enclosed cockpit, called Eclipse Gama 10, the parent company of ELA Aviación is also investing in services supporting the growth of gyroplane flying in Spain. These include airfield infrastructure, training, and technical services. 

When it comes to performance, some models of gyroplane can reach top speeds of around 200 km/h and are able to typically cruise at around 170-180 km/h. Under certain conditions some of ELA Aviación’s top of the range gyroplanes can fly for up to 600 km without refueling. The retail cost? Between €90,000 and €230,000 depending on the model. The operational cost is below €200 per hour once everything is factored in, Alonso explained. 

“For the cost of a helicopter I can get you 20 of our gyroplanes,” she added. 

While more than 90% of sales are to private owners, ELA Aviación is pitching its gyroplanes for other uses, such as aerial services and emergency services. The gyroplane’s low cost, compared to helicopters and even to some types of light fixed-wing aircraft, is one of the most powerful sales arguments. 

Defense and security operators have also been warming up to the gyroplane concept. AutoGyro, for example, is a supplier to the Turkish Jandarma, the country’s gendarmerie force, which use its gyroplanes in tasks such as border control. The German firm has also entered a partnership with Life Shield, a Saudi group active in defense and aerospace, to produce and distribute its gyroplanes in the Middle East. 

Another gyroplane company with its eyes set on Saudi Arabia is ARC Aerosystems, which signed a deal with a local partner to potentially build a $400 million plant.   

This British company uses a 1960s Canadian concept, the patents of which it acquired, as the basis for a new generation of gyroplane aircraft able to provide low emissions, cost-efficient regional travel. 

Ecojet, a new UK operator that aims to be a sustainability-first airline, signed a letter of intent for 20 ARC Aerosystems LINX P9. 

Autogyros in the advanced air mobility era 

Regional air travel is also the main business case of Jaunt Air Mobility, a US-Canadian company which is blending gyroplane technology into what is essentially an eVTOL concept. Jaunt Air Mobility has plans to launch a regional air mobility network in Quebec. 

But perhaps one of the most outlandish recent applications of the gyroplane is its fusion with the flying car concept. Dutch startup PAL-V is in the process of certifying a vehicle that can move both on land and in the air. While it has all the characteristics of a regular car, it also has a foldable rotor which can be deployed when you wish to – literally – take off. 

The much awaited ‘flying car’ from science fiction movies may well turn out to be a gyroplane in disguise! 

Nevertheless, the performance of some of the best fighter jets within their area of expertise is astounding. AeroTime has reviewed the capabilities of the current crop of fighter jets around the world and picked 10 of the very best to compile our list.

To be considered for the list of the best fighter jets in 2025, aircraft have to be operational and in service. Experimental aircraft, prototypes and aircraft in development have not been considered.

The 10 best fighter jets in 2025

Topping the list of the best fighter jets in the world in 2025, it’s Russia’s flagship aircraft, the Su-57. It scored highly on agility and stealth, and with a cost of just $50 million a unit, it’s one of the least expensive fighter jets that air forces can acquire.

In second place is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. While it’s not as agile as the Su-57, nor as heavily armed as the F-15EX, its all-around performance and true multirole capabilities set it apart from the competition. Its stealth is exceptional, beaten only by the more expensive F-22.

In bronze place is China’s first homegrown 5th-generation fighter jet, and one of only four operational stealth fighters in the world today. The Chengdu J-20 ‘Mighty Dragon’ scores highly for its massive 24,000 lb weapons payload, much of which is internal, giving it incredible stealth.

Check out the rest of the top 10 best fighter jets in the table below, and stay with us as we tell you a little more about each one.

The best fighter jets: The complete list

Note on scoring used for defining the ‘best’ fighter jets

To evaluate the all-round capabilities of these fighter jets, we’ve scored them based on various categories. These include cost, stealth, agility, weapons payload, speed and how widely used they are.

Points are awarded based on where the aircraft comes in our top 10 ranking of those characteristics. For most categories, the number 1 ranked aircraft will gain 10 points, going down to one point for the 10th ranked jet, and a firm nil points for those outside of the top 10.

When it comes to cost, we’ve ranked in the opposite direction, giving fewer points to the most expensive, and for stealth, the smallest radar cross section (RCS) gets the most points.

1. Sukhoi Su-57 Felon

Ranking the Sukhoi Su-57 as the best fighter jet in the world is bound to cause some controversy. After all, the USA fields some of the most advanced fighters in the world, not least the F-22. 

However, in the Su-57, the Russians have designed a truly formidable jet, with the aircraft ranking highly for agility, weapons payload and stealth. Most importantly, Russia has managed to pack all this technology into an aircraft that costs far less than any other advanced fighter, with Bulgarian Military estimating the cost per unit at just $35-$50 million.

The supermaneuverability of the Su-57 is delivered by its 3D thrust vectoring nozzles, with a superb thrust-to-weight ratio making it capable of turning on a dime. While its stealth is less refined than Western counterparts, it compensates with high-tech sensors, raw aerodynamic performance and a versatile loadout of both internal and external weaponry.

2. Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II

While the F-35 missed out on the top spot to the Russian competitor, it’s important to note how much more prolific the F-35 is in terms of use. More than 700 are currently in active service, and the type forms the backbone of the US Air Force. 

It’s stealthier than the Su-57, and stealthy from every angle, not just the front, with a radar cross section (RCS) that’s equivalent to a golf ball. However, it doesn’t fly as fast as the Su-57, and isn’t capable of true supercruise (supersonic speeds without afterburners). 

It lost points for its expense, with some models costing around twice that of the reported price of the Su-57. However, as a true multirole fighter jet that can excel in almost any scenario, the F-35 remains one of the best fighter jets in the world today.

3. Chengdu J-20 Mighty Dragon

Coming in hot is the ‘Mighty Dragon’ Chengdu J-20. It’s China’s first 5th-generation stealth fighter, and one of only four truly stealth fighter jets in the world today. While it’s undoubtedly been inspired by the impressive capabilities of the F-22 and F-35, it’s evolved into a capable fighter in its own right.

The J-20 was built with long-range operations in mind. It’s not as fast as some of the fighters on this list, but it can reach Mach 2 and maintain those speeds without afterburners, giving it true supercruise capabilities.

While only a couple of hundred are thought to be operational so far, Military Watch notes that it is in production at over three times the scale of any other twin-engine fighter, somewhere in the region of 100-120 aircraft a year. It is not exported; all those aircraft are destined for the PLAAF.

4. Boeing F-15EX Eagle II

When it comes to weapons payload, no aircraft can come close to the F-15EX. Almost 30,000 lbs of weapons can be loaded onto this flying bomb truck, making it the most heavily armed fighter jet in the world. 

It’s not particularly stealthy, but it doesn’t need to be. Instead of sneaking in under cover, its top speed of Mach 2.5 means it can get in, strike, and get out again rapidly. It can haul 20+ air-to-air missiles in a single sortie using the Advanced Missile and Bomb Ejector Rack (AMBER) system, and is the perfect escort for more expensive stealth jets.

It’s the fastest operational fighter jet in the US Air Force – indeed, the world – outpaced only by the practically obsolete MiG-25 and MiG-31. Just eight have been delivered so far, with the first arriving in June 2024. According to Janes, tail numbers 9, 10 and 11 are on the verge of delivery, with many more expected to join the USAF over the coming years.

5. Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

Some readers may be perplexed to see the F-22 so far down the list, but there are reasons it didn’t score higher. This incredible feat of engineering has made for the most agile and stealthiest fighter jet in the world, with an RCS that’s comparable to a marble.

Yet, while the F-22 is more than capable of disappearing, it has a rather low weapons payload, for which it loses points. It’s also the most expensive fighter jet in the world, with a unit cost in excess of $140 million (even though it’s thought each jet costs almost $300 million to build). 

Nevertheless, the F-22 is a marvel of modern mechanics. As well as advanced stealth, it is capable of supercruise at Mach 1.8, and has a top speed of Mach 2.25, allowing it to give chase or disengage rapidly. Production of the type has now ended, with only 178 aircraft built. Even so, it remains a formidable fighter jet in the skies of 2025.

6. General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is by far the most widely used fighter jet in the world today. According to the 2025 World Air Forces Directory, 2,084 units are in operation right now, with more than 700 in the USAF and large fleets in Egypt, Israel, Greece and Turkey. 

While the ‘Viper’ has a history dating back to the 1970s, it remains relevant thanks to continuous upgrades. It’s a true multirole aircraft, just as comfortable in air-to-air battles as it is performing reconnaissance. It supports almost every weapon in the US and NATO inventory.

The latest block of the F-16, Block 70/72, has created a 4th generation ++ aircraft, with new radars, mission computers, infrared tracking and other updates. It’s the cheapest jet on our list to buy, and has proven its capabilities in multiple conflicts, from Operation Desert Storm to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

7. Sukhoi Su-35

The Sukhoi Su-35 may not be stealthy, but it remains one of the world’s most formidable 4th-generation fighters. Its exceptional agility is enabled by two-plane thrust vectoring, making it the only production aircraft to use this technology. 

In close-quarters dogfights, the Su-35 is a dangerous opponent, capable of out-turning most Western jets. Combined with a large internal fuel load, long combat range, and a powerful passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar, it’s built for both air superiority and extended patrols.

The Su-35 carries a generous weapons load of over 17,000 lbs, and this, along with its electronic warfare systems, infrared search and track (IRST) sensor, and high speed of Mach 2.25, makes it a credible force in both defensive and offensive missions. With more than 100 units currently in service and exports to countries like China and Egypt, the Su-35 is a key pillar of Russia’s tactical airpower in 2025.

8. Eurofighter Typhoon

The Eurofighter Typhoon, a cornerstone of European air power, was originally designed for air superiority, but has since evolved into a true multirole fighter. It might not be the best in any category, but rather than sacrificing any one of those traits for excellence at another, it simply does it all with a good level of competence.

Designed and built at the end of the 20th century, the Typhoon has been systematically upgraded over the years. The latest Tranche 5 upgrades include a redesigned cockpit with large area displays, better connectivity and the ability to operate alongside drones. 

Across its performance envelope, the Typhoon has exceptional agility. Its advanced avionics and sensor suite contribute to its survivability, and it can supercruise at Mach 1.5 fully loaded. 

9. Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet

The backbone of the US Navy’s air arm, the F/A-18 has been in service in various forms since 1978. Its latest iteration, the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, is a 21st-century-compatible version that has more range, more payload and requires fewer maintenance hours than the original Hornet.

Priced in the range of $73 million, it’s still one of the 10 most expensive fighter jets in the world, but it is half the cost of an F-22. Its 17,750 lbs of ordnance payload is impressive, and it’s been built to be compatible with a huge range of US and NATO munitions.

While the Super Hornet looks like a beefed-up F/A-18C/D, it’s essentially a new aircraft, with around 80% of its structure redesigned. The E/F designation denotes whether it’s a single seater or twin, but all models have folding wings to make them suitable for carrier-based operations.

10. Dassault Rafale

Dassault’s flagship fighter jet is the Rafale, meaning ‘gust of wind’ in French. The jet is the epitome of elegance with its sweeping curves and sharply pointed nose, but it’s as deadly as it is beautiful.

The Rafale is built for ‘omnirole’, a step beyond multirole that means the jet can perform all mission types simultaneously, not simply switch between them. It has advanced avionics and sensor fusion, alongside one of the best electronic warfare suites in the world (SPECTRA). 

While it can’t be considered fully stealth like the F-22, it does incorporate stealth design features to reduce its RCS. The latest iteration, the F-4 standard, features radar and sensor upgrades that help it detect stealth aircraft at long range, making it one of the best hunters in the business.

What’s coming next in the world of the best fighter jets?

While there are only a handful of true 5th-generation fighter jets in operation today, several more are set to join the ranks of the best fighter jets in the coming years. 

Progressing nicely is the KAI KF-21 Boramae, South Korea’s first domestically-produced advanced fighter jet. Six prototypes have been produced, and the first serial model has entered final assembly. Early indications are that it will have a top speed of Mach 1.8 and up to 17,000 lbs of payload.

It’s described as a 4.5-generation aircraft, not quite as advanced as some of the best in the world, but with better stealth capabilities and advanced avionics that put it ahead of aircraft like the Typhoon and Rafale. It’s expected to enter service in 2026.

Turkey is developing the TAI TF Kaan, although only one prototype exists so far, while India is a little further behind on its Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) as no prototype has yet been built.

In Russia, the Su-75 Checkmate was displayed at MAKS in 2021 and Dubai Airshow in 2023, but development has been delayed after sanctions were imposed on the country. The original entry into service was scheduled for 2027, but little is known about current progress on the project.

Hot on the heels of these 5th-gen fighters are a group of super-advanced aircraft which will become the 6th-generation fleet. None have yet been built, but some manufacturers are hoping for introduction in the early 2030s. When they arrive, the landscape of the best fighter jets is sure to change immeasurably.

The two companies will collaborate to conduct an environmental, economic and operational assessment of the prospective introduction of Natilus’ future blended-wing aircraft into cargo operations. 

Switzerland-based Kuehne-Nagel is primarily a freight forwarder and doesn’t currently have its own aircraft fleet. Nevertheless, it is a key player in the global air freight market as it works closely with a number of air cargo operators all over the world.  

Speaking with AeroTime, Natilus founder and CEO, Aleksey Matyushev, explained that Natilus will analyze Kuehne-Nagel’s data to identify opportunities for environmental and operational optimization. Natilus will model how an aircraft, such as the one it is currently developing, could contribute to streamlining Kuehne-Nagel’s network and reducing its environmental footprint. 

This exercise, Matyushev explained, will also provide their partners with a clearer picture of the environmental aspects of their operations. 

One of the major selling points of the blended-wing-body technology on which Natilus is working is the potential to reduce fuel consumption by 30% or more thanks to its revolutionary aerodynamic design. 

Of late, the aviation industry has been warming up to the blended-wing-body concept. Another startup working on a similar concept, JetZero, has recently signed landmark partnership deals, including potential aircraft orders with two of the largest airlines in the US, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

Matyushev also commented on this trend, noting that it was beneficial for startups like Natilus that this design approach was gaining mainstream acceptance. 

“It normalizes this technology,” Matyushev said, referring to the latest string of deals in this space. 

Matyushev highlighted that many airplanes will be needed in the decades to come, and having several players in this space would provide more options for airlines to get onboard with this technology. 

In this regard, he noted that Natilus had opted to focus on a smaller design than JetZero for its own passenger aircraft project.  

Though Natilus had initially chosen to focus only on the air cargo segment, in October 2024 it unveiled its vision for a mid-sized airliner, which it calls Horizon, for the A320/B737 category. 

Natilus’ partnership with Kuehne-Nagel was preceded on April 30, 2025, by the signature of another strategic agreement with big data and security firm Palantir. Within the framework of this collaboration, Palantir’s AI-driven technology will help Natilus to streamline its internal development processes. 

In October 2024, the Japanese car making group announced an investment of US$500 million in the US advanced air mobility firm, which would be disbursed in two installments of US$250 million. Joby received the first of those installments in late 2024. This additional investment brings Toyota’s total investment in Joby to $894 million, making it the largest shareholder in the US startup. 

Shares in Joby rallied in the stock market shortly after the announcement, experiencing an intra-day surge of 25%. 

In the 8-K financial regulatory filing confirming the equity investment, Joby hinted at the possibility of Toyota starting air taxi services in Japan as soon as Joby’s S-4 aircraft secures the required certification and all required permits from the Japanese aviation authorities. 

Although plans to conduct demonstration flights at the Expo 2025 Osaka have not yet materialized, Japan remains a strategic market for Joby. In November 2024, the US advanced air mobility firm even brought one of its test aircraft temporarily from California to Japan in order to showcase its capabilities to local partners, authorities, and potential customers. 

Although the feat was not publicly announced until May 27, 2025, the flight took place a few days earlier at Edwards Air Force Base, California 

The Quarterhorse Mk 1 is a clean-sheet unmanned aircraft which will serve as the basis to develop a family of high-speed and even hypersonic aircraft, capable of flying at speeds in excess of Mach 3, or faster than three times the speed of sound. 

In a social media post, Skyler Shuford, the founder and President of Hermeus, highlighted that the Quarterhorse Mk 1 has taken just 19 months to get from the drawing board to its first flight. According to the aerospace entrepreneur, this is the fastest development time for a jet aircraft in the last eight decades. 

Hermeus takes pride in the agility of its development process, which involves a fast iteration from one prototype to the next. A new model called Quarterhorse Mk 2, capable of reaching high supersonic speeds, is already in the works and is expected to fly before the end of 2025.  

Larger and faster hypersonic designs have already been sketched for development over the longer term for both military and civilian applications. In particular, the US startup is working on a multi-mission unmanned aerial system (UAS) concept called “Darkhorse” and an airliner called “Halcyon”, both of which are capable of reaching hypersonic speeds. 

As of May 2025, Hermeus, which is based in Atlanta, Georgia, has raised more than $100 million, including investments from defense conglomerate Raytheon Technologies and well-known technology investors Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Khosla Ventures, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, among others. Hermeus has also received funding from the US Department of Defense through research and development programs run by its Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). 

In a remote, non-airport site with minimal infrastructure, the uncrewed aircraft demonstrated its ability to operate in real-world conditions with limited resources. This phase was designed to validate the platform’s ability to operate seamlessly in both daytime and nighttime conditions, with a key focus on ensuring that even ground crews previously unfamiliar with it can seamlessly handle the aircraft with minimal training. 

The company added that, “The demonstrations further advance the company’s efforts to bring its cargo-focused eVTOL and the piloted AIR ONE to market for both consumer and commercial logistics use, showcasing its suitability for diverse applications. Following simple SOPs, ground crews successfully loaded 550 pounds (250 kilograms) of cargo into the aircraft and observed its departure via remote operation, demonstrating the eVTOL’s ability to integrate with any ground team.”

“Operations don’t stop once the sun goes down. We recognized early on that ensuring safety and efficiency at night is just as essential as in the daytime,” said Rani Plaut, CEO and co-founder of AIR. “We are proud to have completed this rigorous round of nighttime flight operations, showcasing that AIR’s eVTOL for cargo use is ready for 24/7 use. The aircraft adapts to almost any environment due to its simple ground handling requirements and the ease with which any ground crew can quickly get up to speed. The new SOPs we established lay the foundation for a future of uninterrupted, on-demand cargo mobility.”

AIR’s launch customer, who was present during the night flight demonstration, was impressed with the aircraft’s smooth performance and eagerly anticipates the delivery of additional units later this year. This marks the latest milestone for AIR, which has doubled its team size over the past year and expanded its product line with the introduction of its unmanned variant tailored for enterprise and logistics use, alongside its piloted eVTOL for personal flight. 

AIR ONE is described by the firm as an easy-to-operate electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft designed for individual consumer ownership. The piloted AIR ONE is on track for delivery to general aviation (GA) customers after certification, with over 2,200 preorders for personal use already secured and a growing waitlist.

As the eVTOL industry gains traction with a primary focus on air taxis and other urban air mobility deployments, AIR puts the operation of the aircraft directly in the hands of consumers, unlike other eVTOL developers. AIR’s inaugural vehicle will feature aerospace innovation alongside cutting-edge automotive manufacturing techniques and product maturity to enable mass production of vehicles and accelerated integration of advanced air mobility into society on both a commercial and personal level.

“The future of mobility is in the sky, but to get there, we need to build consumer confidence in eVTOLs as a legitimate mode of everyday transport and develop vehicles on a mass scale to bring that vision to life,” added AIR’s Plaut. “AIR ONE is our hat in the ring, simultaneously showing consumers the first in a line of diversified, playful models for personal flight and demonstrating cutting-edge technology that will enable high-volume production and scalability.”  

AIR ONE prioritizes everyday practicality with collapsible wings for easy parking and its ability to take off from or land on any flat surface. The company’s inaugural AIR ONE vehicle is an all-electric two-seater eVTOL that offers a range of 110 miles (176km) on a single charge at speeds up to 155 miles per hour (250 km/h), with a flight duration of one hour.

The flight, which was pre-approved by the Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) of the United Kingdom, took place in the third week of May 2025 in the vicinity of Cotswolds Airport (GBA), near Kemble, in the southwest of England. 

This is the first ever piloted wingborne flight in Europe of a winged eVTOL aircraft in open airspace.

The landmark test flight had been the subject of public speculation, after spotters in the Kemble area posted pictures and footage online which appeared to show a VX4 aircraft flying in open airspace. 

While the VX4 has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, the test consisted only of a horizontal flight, with the VX4 taking off and landing like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft.  

The completion of a piloted wingborne flight in open airspace represents the third stage of a methodical multi-stage program. In July 2024 Vertical Aerospace completed the first piloted tests, with the aircraft tethered to the ground by ropes. A few months later, in November 2024, it completed the first untethered pilot flight, which consisted of vertical takeoff and landing and low-speed maneuvers, within the grounds of Cotswolds Airport. 

A piloted transition flight, in which the aircraft switches mid-air from vertical to horizontal flight, is expected by the second half of 2025. 

Sabine Klauke, who until now was Chief Technology Officer & EVP Engineering Commercial Aircraft Business, will be heading Digital Design Manufacturing and Services (DDMS) “Next Gen”, a newly created cross-division business area. In her new role, Klauke will report to Executive Vice-President Digital Catherine Jestin. 

The role of Head of Technology and Vice-President Engineering at the Commercial Aircraft business will be taken over by Rémi Maillard, who until now was heading Airbus in India and South Asia.  

This position carries significant weight within the European aircraft manufacturer, as it involves coordinating all research and technology development activities across the group. Maillard will report directly to Christian Scherer, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft. 

Maillard is an Airbus veteran who has risen through the ranks. Before heading the group’s business in India and South Asia, he spent over 10 years at Airbus Helicopters, where he took on several senior engineering roles which included work in programs such as the Tiger attack helicopter and the H175 model.  

These leadership changes will become effective on July 1, 2025. 

The proposed new piece of legislation, registered as ‘S.1759’, but referred to also as ‘SAM (Supersonic Aviation Modernization) Act’, would make it possible to operate civil supersonic flights within US airspace, under certain conditions.  

Senator Budd insisted that the regulation should focus on limiting the sound impact of supersonic flight, rather than the actual speed at which aircraft fly. 

At present, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibits commercial supersonic flights over land in the US, except in some special circumstances, on the basis of a regulation, ’14 CFR 91.817’, that was established back in 1973. 

The potentially disturbing effect of sonic booms on populated areas is the main reason underlying these limitations. However, it is possible that regulators may soften this stance in view of recent innovations in sonic boom mitigation, such as those currently being tested by Boom Supersonic. 

In January 2025, Boom Supersonic successfully tested its XB-1 prototype, a small-scale demonstrator that is expected to become the basis for a larger supersonic airliner. 

Not surprisingly, Boom Supersonic founder, Blake Scholl, has been a vocal advocate for legislative reform in the field of supersonic flight.  

A switch in regulatory focus from speed to sound impact may significantly expand the addressable market of Boom Supersonic. This startup has been working on “boomless” technology that, it claims, will mitigate the sonic boom phenomenon significantly. 

The SAM Act has been co-sponsored by three fellow Republican senators from North Carolina, Montana and Utah. Introduction to Congress is the first step in the process towards potentially becoming law.  

Before that happens, the bill will have to pass through the appropriate committees and then be debated by the full chamber, which may introduce amendments. If approved by one of the two chambers, it would next have to go through a similar process in the other. The bill would ultimately have to be signed by the US President, who also has some powers of veto. 

Perhaps not entirely coincidentally, on the same day that the SAM Act was introduced, another US startup, Atlanta-based Spike Aerospace, issued a public statement confirming that it has resumed work on the development of the ‘S-512 Diplomat’, a supersonic commercial aircraft capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 1.6.  

Spike Aerospace has been working on a civilian supersonic aircraft for over a decade, although so far it has kept a much lower public profile than Boom Supersonic. Plus, unlike the latter, it hasn’t yet performed supersonic flight tests.  

Just as with Boom Supersonic, though, Spike Aerospace claims its future aircraft will have ‘low-boom’ technology which will give it a much lower sonic profile than traditional supersonic aircraft. 

The Cavorite X7, named after the fictional gravity-defying material in H.G. Wells’ 1901 novel ‘The First Men in the Moon’, is a hybrid eVTOL aircraft that combines a conventional aero engine with battery-powered wing-based fans. It features a forward-swept main wing, plus a smaller set of horizontal canard-style stabilizers mounted on the forward fuselage. The aircraft also has twin-boom vertical stabilizers to the rear and a monocoque cabin that can accommodate up to six passengers, plus the operating pilot.  

The key difference between the Cavorite X7 versus other eVTOL aircraft currently under development is that, while exposed rotors are the primary source of vertical thrust in those aircraft, the Cavorite X7 uses electrically-driven hidden fans embedded within the swept wing structures to provide vertical lift – a system referred to by the company as its patented ‘HOVR Wing’ design. This unique ‘fan-in-wing’ design combines the agility and versatility of a helicopter with the speed and strength of a conventional aircraft, states the company.

“Today, we join a very small group of companies worldwide that have achieved this critical technical milestone,” said Brandon Robinson, CEO and co-founder of Horizon Aircraft. “From the beginning, we have focused on innovations that make the most operational sense with the best available technology. We are looking forward to proving this next on our full-scale, piloted technical demonstrator that is currently under construction.”

“This incredible achievement validates our unique and robust approach to the transition phase of flight,” added Brian Robinson, chief engineer and co-founder. “In our aircraft, the transition phase was designed from the beginning to be a non-event, as there are no complicated multi-copter rotating nacelles or heavy tilt-wing mechanisms, and we have multiple layers of redundancy.”

“The result is an extremely safe and stable transition, a vital part of eVTOL operations, and an area in which many of our competitors have faced serious challenges,” he concluded.

According to a company statement, Horizon Aircraft’s patented fan-in-wing technology “is based on proven technology that leverages the advantages of modern electric motors and batteries to create a next-generation eVTOL system that enables a simpler, safer, and more efficient way to fly. With projected en-route speeds up to 250 mph and operational ranges over 500 miles with fuel reserves, the hybrid electric Cavorite X7 aims to be a disruptive force in the emerging Regional Air Mobility (RAM) market.”

Following the successful first transition to full horizontal flight and describing the event of the first full-wing transition flight,  Brandon Robinson added to his LinkedIn profile that, “[Friday, May 9, 2025], was a good day for Horizon Aircraft. We became the first company to transition a fan-in-wing VTOL aircraft to forward flight using a novel architecture, and the second ever in history to accomplish this task. It was a boring flight, and in flight testing, boring is great!”

“The aircraft is rock solid during transition. No complex rotating nacelles/motors. No huge tilting wings. No pitch problems. No altitude loss. Just some panels sliding closed – working similarly to modern flaps and slats on every commercial airliner. I am extremely proud and humbled by our world-class team that is achieving this type of success. Now we move fully onto developing our full-scale aircraft, so stay tuned!”

More about the Cavorite X7

Capable of carrying out stage lengths of up to 500 miles (800km) while cruising at a speed of up to 250 knots (450 km/h), the Cavorite X7 can carry payloads up to 680kg (1500 lbs) if operating in vertical flight mode. This increases to 815kg (1,800 lbs) if flying purely in conventional flight mode, using runways to take off and land. The maximum gross weight of the aircraft is stated as 2,500kg (5,500 lbs).    

Just a few days after Horizon’s first full-wing transition flight,  UK-based eVTOL developer Vertical Aerospace announced it would also be joining Horizon in the hybrid arena with a new hybrid version of its VX4 eVTOL vehicle, recognising the need for such eVTOL aircraft to offer extended range capabilities that the current range of true eVTOL aircraft being developed cannot.

In September 2024, UrbanLink Air Mobility placed an order for 27 “Viceroy” ground-in-wing vehicles, each capable of transporting up to 12 passengers flying just a few meters above water at speeds of up to 180 miles per hour. 

UrbanLink Air Mobility plans to use those vehicles, including 20 additional ones from the follow-up order, on coastal routes in South Florida and Puerto Rico.  

The business case for a ground-in-wing vehicle in these markets rests on its ability to deliver fast transportation services in a radius of up to 180 miles from bases in Miami and San Juan de Puerto Rico.  

The new servicecould start as early as 2027 provided REGENT successfully completes the Seaglider’s development and obtains the required permits and certifications. UrbanLink plans to commercialize it as an alternative to congested overland transportation options. 

Both companies see a potential market for up to 4.3 million passengers per year in the Greater Miami area. 

In March 2025, REGENT conducted the first sea trial of a full-scale passenger-carrying Viceroy prototype in the waters of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. 

The broadening of Vertical’s hybrid-electric strategy, unveiled on May 12, 2025, builds on its all-electric VX4 platform, which is currently undergoing flight testing, as well as the company’s ‘Flightpath 2030’ strategy’ which plans for the eVTOL variant of the VX4 to receive its type certification in the UK and Europe in 2028, followed by validation by other key global regulatory authorities by 2030.

The company believes that offering a more capable VX4 variant will make the type a far more attractive proposition in markets where more versatility and flexibility may be required for specific missions. These may include operations linked to defence, logistics, and other commercial sectors, including air ambulance services, which require longer range and higher payload than current eVTOL platforms can deliver.

Vertical’s second-generation hybrid-propulsion system, which has been in development for 18 months at the Vertical Energy Centre, will be retrofitted into one of the company’s VX4 full-scale prototypes and is expected to commence flight testing in the second quarter of 2026. Key targeted capabilities of Vertical’s hybrid-electric variant are a range of up to 1,000 miles (1,600km), a figure that represents a 10-fold increase over the fully-electric VX4, and with a maximum payload of 1,100 kilograms (2,424 lbs) in the VX4’s airframe capacity.

According to the manufacturer, other advantages of the VX4 hybrid variant, making it ideal for military and defense applications, are its stealth characteristics with a low noise and heat footprint, which the company says makes it ideal for ‘sensitive’ missions. The hybrid VX4 will also be offered in crewed and uncrewed variants, adding to its versatility. The uncrewed variant can be “seamlessly integrated into the existing Flight Control System currently being developed by Honeywell,” said Vertical.

Additionally, further advantages of the hybrid version will be an added layer of mission resilience, using the VX4’s redundancy and damage tolerances, which will “boost confidence for mission-critical operations.”

“The demand for long-range, high-payload, quiet aircraft is growing rapidly – especially across defense and critical logistics,” said Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace. “Our hybrid-electric VTOL strategy builds on our existing electric platform, world-class battery technology, and large, versatile airframe, allowing us to offer uniquely scalable solutions that unlock a new frontier in air mobility and revenue stream for Vertical.”

The company adds that the “hybrid-electric potential to be enabled by proprietary battery technology and airframe Vertical’s proprietary battery platform, developed at its purpose-built Vertical Energy Centre, is a critical component of its hybrid-electric capability. Vertical’s battery will help power the superior hybrid range and payload capabilities, enabling best-in-class performance for mission-critical use cases. Vertical’s hybrid team has developed advanced control systems supporting safe operation and redundancy, meeting strict European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) safety standards for eVTOL flight.”

Development already underway

According to a Vertical statement, bench testing has already validated its hybrid-electric architecture, including the successful integration of control algorithms between the power unit and battery. Additionally, the developer adds that the VX4’s large and flexible airframe enables the integration of hybrid-electric propulsion technology and superior payload capacity without requiring any major redesign.

“This design freedom supports both operational scalability and mission versatility – advantages that smaller platforms may struggle to accommodate. Uniquely positioned to meet the growing defence needs across Europe as the only remaining credible European eVTOL company, Vertical’s hybrid-electric capabilities position it as a key player amid growing defence budgets and increasing focus on sovereign industrial capacity,” said the Vertical statement.

“As European governments increasingly look to develop new technologies and platforms to strengthen their defence capabilities, Vertical is actively engaged in discussions with government agencies, as well as other prospective customers, around defence applications and other potential use cases for its hybrid-electric aircraft,” the company concludes.

The move into the hybrid-electric VTOL arena will bring the VX4 into direct competition with other key players in the field, primarily the Canada-built Horizon Aircraft Cavorite X7, which will offer a range of 900 miles (1,450km) and a payload of 680kg (1,500 lbs) once it enters into service.  

Symphony is a medium-bypass turbofan engine specifically designed for sustained supersonic flight. It is expected to produce 35,000 pounds of thrust at takeoff and sustain cruise speeds of Mach 1.7. The engine’s core — measuring 12 feet in length and 4 feet in diameter — comprises a high-pressure compressor, combustor, and turbine, critical for achieving efficient and reliable performance.

The facility, located about 35 miles from Boom’s Denver headquarters, will undergo $3–5 million in upgrades in 2025. Planned improvements include enhancements to safety systems, construction of a fuel farm, and installation of a new control room and advanced data acquisition systems. Prototype engine core testing is slated to begin later this year.

Building on Reaction Engines’ groundwork for next-generation propulsion

Previously, the site was operated by UK-based Reaction Engines, which successfully tested its precooler hypersonic technology there in August 2024, achieving sustained Mach 3.5 conditions during ground tests. However, Reaction Engines entered administration just two months later following funding challenges. “We were sad to see them go last year but are excited to continue on the legacy of innovating to build things that enable a faster future,” commented Boom founder and CEO Blake Scholl.

The Symphony engine is being developed with several partners: Florida Turbine Technologies is leading design, GE Aerospace subsidiary Colibrium Additive is advising on additive manufacturing, and StandardAero will assemble the engines in San Antonio, Texas.

Boom’s Overture airliner, which has secured 130 orders and pre-orders from major carriers including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Japan Airlines, is expected to enter service later this decade.

The deal, the total amount of which has not been disclosed, also includes a conditional purchase agreement for United Airlines to potentially acquire up to 200 aircraft (100 conditional orders plus 100 options).  

Confirmation of the order is dependent on JetZero reaching certain milestones, such as managing to have a full-scale demonstrator aircraft flying by 2027 and meeting certain safety, operational and financial requirements. 

While the US Air Force provided a significant chunk of the early-stage funding for JetZero through a $235 million grant, the blended wing body concept that JetZero is working on has also garnered significant interest from the commercial aviation industry. 

The aerodynamic structure of this innovative aircraft concept could halve fuel consumption in comparison to traditional tube-and-wings airliner designs, while the spacious wide cabin could radically transform the passenger experience. 

United Airlines follows in the footsteps of Delta Air Lines, which announced its own partnership with JetZero in March 2025 to collaborate on the definition of the passenger experience onboard the future 250-passenger long-haul airliner.  

With United Airlines on board, JetZero has already secured the interest of two of the three largest US carriers. 

In a press release announcing the deal, Andrew Chang, Head of United Airlines Ventures (UAV), the venture capital arm of the eponymous airline, stated: “If successful, JetZero has the potential to evolve our core mainline business by developing aircraft with a bigger, more comfortable cabin experience for our customers while increasing fuel efficiency across our network.” 

The round was led by Prysm Capital, a growth equity firm, which joins other prominent early investors in Electra, including Lockheed Martin Ventures, Honeywell, Safran, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) and Statkraft Ventures, the venture capital arm of Norwegian energy firm of the same name. 

As part of the deal, Jay Park, Prysm Capital’s Co-Founder and Managing Partner, will also join Electra’s board of directors.  

The announcement came just weeks after Electra announced it had already secured orders for 2,200 EL9 aircraft, a portfolio valued at around $9 billion.  

The Virginia-based startup markets the EL9 as a sound and feasible future alternative to decentralize regional travel with a low operating cost, low-emissions and quiet aircraft which can land at a large number of locations due to its STOL capabilities. The EL9 will be able to land and takeoff on runways as short as 150 ft (45.7 meters) carrying up to nine passengers onboard. 

The major centers of the eVTOL industry in China have so far been located in the coastal regions, particularly around the Pearl River Delta. However, this investment represents a significant move towards expanding what in China is commonly referred to as the “low altitude economy” to inland cities. 

In this particular case, AutoFlight’s expansion project has received official backing from the Hanyang District of Wuhan. 

In addition to assembling its eVTOL aircraft, AutoFlight will also use the new facility for ground testing, flight testing, sales, and service activities and as a delivery center. The startup also plans to include an exhibition center at the site in order to showcase its aircraft. 

The partnership with the local government in Wuhan will also entail a demonstration flight program in the city, covering a broad range of applications, from aerial firefighting to emergency services and logistics. To this end, an “eVTOL corridor” is expected to be designated along the northern bank of the Yangtsé river. 

The establishment of the Wuhan industrial facility follows a 157 million Yuan order (US$21.5 million / €19 million) announced in February 2025 by the Wuhan Hanyang Investment Development Group for 12 of Autoflight’s eVTOLs.  

The partnership with the Wuhan Hanyang Investment Development Group is strategic for Autoflight, since it is expected to help the eVTOL developer expand in international markets, including in countries that have signed up for China’s “Belt and Road” initiative. 

In 2024, AutoFlight received the Chinese type certificate for its V2000CG CarryAll, an unmanned cargo eVTOL capable of carrying a payload of up to 500 kg over distances of 250 km.  

At the same time, AutoFlight is also working to certify its “Prosperity” model, a passenger eVTOL aircraft with capacity for four passengers and a pilot. 

The system is based on a solution that was successfully deployed at the Israeli Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA). SkyDeck leverages AI-powered automation and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to optimize airspace restrictions, ensuring compliance with ICAO and FAA regulations while significantly improving operational efficiency.

About Kluren

Kluren Technologies is a leading software development company specializing in GIS-driven solutions, AI-powered automation, and complex system engineering.

With extensive experience in aviation, defense, and homeland security, Kluren delivers cutting-edge technologies that transform operational efficiency and decision-making processes. The company is renowned for integrating ESRI-based and open-source GIS solutions into its software products, ensuring high adaptability and precision.

To gain insights into how SkyDeck is reshaping airspace management, we spoke with Yaniv Amar, CEO of Kluren, about its capabilities and impact.

Q: What is SkyDeck, and why was it developed?

SkyDeck is an AI-driven airspace restriction management system designed to automate and optimize how aviation authorities handle airspace restrictions, urban planning permits, and compliance. It eliminates manual inefficiencies by integrating real-time GIS data analysis and regulatory automation, reducing processing times from weeks to days.

“Our goal was to develop a system that streamlines decision-making and enhances safety while saving time and resources,” says Yaniv Amar.

Q: What sets SkyDeck apart from traditional systems?

Most airspace restriction systems still rely on manual processes, leading to delays, errors, and inefficiencies. SkyDeck stands out with:

• Automated Workflows: AI-driven processes optimize restriction approvals and urban planning applications.
• GIS-Enabled Precision: SkyDeck integrates ESRI-based and open-source GIS tools for accurate spatial data analysis.
• Resource Optimization: Minimizes manual labour, reduces costs, and improves efficiency.
• Scalability & Flexibility: Easily adaptable to different aviation authorities worldwide.

Q: How does SkyDeck improve efficiency for aviation authorities?

By replacing manual reviews with AI-powered automation, SkyDeck accelerates approval processes for building permits and airspace restrictions. Authorities can analyze real-time GIS data, generate compliance reports, and issue responses faster than ever before.

“Decisions that once took weeks now take just hours or days,” notes the Kluren team.

Q: What are the long-term benefits of SkyDeck?

SkyDeck isn’t just an efficiency tool—it’s a cost-effective, safety-enhancing solution for airspace management. Its benefits include:

• Significant Cost Savings: Less manual work, fewer errors, and reduced administrative burden.
• Faster Urban Development Approvals: Speeds up infrastructure projects near airports.
• Regulatory Compliance Assurance: Fully aligns with ICAO and FAA guidelines.
• Enhanced Airspace Safety: Uses predictive analytics to mitigate risks before they arise.

Q: Will SkyDeck expand beyond Israel?

Absolutely. SkyDeck’s modular architecture makes it a viable solution for any aviation authority worldwide. The system supports both ESRI and open-source GIS, ensuring adaptability across varied regulatory frameworks.

Final Thoughts

SkyDeck represents the future of airspace management. By combining AI-driven optimization, GIS intelligence, and automated compliance tools, it transforms how aviation authorities handle airspace restrictions.

“SkyDeck is more than just software—it’s a revolution in airspace management,” says Yaniv Amar.

For more details, visit SkyDeck’s Official Page.

The Boeing 737 VR simulator is being developed by Loft Dynamics. The Swiss aviation simulation company, known for creating the only FAA- and EASA-approved VR helicopter flight simulator, will now use its knowledge to develop a VR simulator for fixed-wing aircraft with the support of Alaska’s pilot training team.

The new simulator will integrate advanced technologies such as a six-degrees-of-freedom full-motion platform with force feedback and haptic sensations, 360-degree panoramic 3D visuals for realistic spatial awareness, and full-body pose tracking for precise in-simulator movements. It will also offer customizable training scenarios and environments, along with a virtual demonstration mode that enables instructors to record and replay training sessions.

Compared to standard B737 simulators, the proposed VR simulator will offer a compact footprint that requires just one-twelfth of the space. This smaller size could allow simulators to be deployed at individual Alaska Airlines bases, giving pilots more frequent opportunities to refine their skills.

The long-term goal is to gain FAA certification, but in the meantime, the focus will be on enhancing existing FAA-approved programs with additional training features.

“Pilot training has significantly evolved over the past 30 years, from training solely in an aircraft to using full-flight simulators. With the potential of Loft’s hyper-realistic VR simulator, we could be transforming commercial pilot training as we know it today,” said Jeff Severns, Managing Director of Flight Operations Training at Alaska Airlines.

“These VR simulators could provide a fully immersive, high-fidelity, data-driven experience that replicates real-world flight scenarios — all in a device compact enough to fit in a standard office. […] We are committed to offering the most advanced training solutions available, including VR, and look forward to being Loft’s first fixed-wing customer,” Severns concluded.

According to an Alaska Airlines statement, the investment was made through Alaska Star Ventures, the airline’s corporate venture capital arm.

Since those early days, the autopilot has developed enormously, both in terms of capabilities and functionality. Nowadays, modern aircraft are equipped with systems that can not only fly the aircraft but can also perform fully automated take-offs and landings and can even provide protection systems in the event of unusual flight situations that threaten the safety of the airplane and its occupants.

Largely gone are the days when pilots had to manually control their aircraft from engine start-up to shut down by keeping their hands rigidly fixed on the controls at all times. However, the development of the autopilot has not come without its drawbacks, either. Some high-profile accidents have been caused either by autopilot errors or by pilots misinterpreting what the autopilot was doing, with catastrophic effects.

Yet despite this, the advancement of autopilot has made flying, whether that be in a small light aircraft or an Airbus A380, the experience it is today. AeroTime takes a look back at the development of automatic pilot systems, from its early days before the First World War, all the way to its modern-day equivalent, and how a flight of 18 hours or more can be conducted safely with the pilots barely having to manually manipulate the flight controls at any stage of that process. 

What is an autopilot?            

In the years following the Wright Brothers’ pioneering work of establishing the principles of powered flight, aeronautical engineers were keen to exploit the new technology and develop expertise to broaden the possibilities of what could be achieved by flying. With the demand for longer flights rising, and the desire to send mail at first, and later passengers by air over greater distances, there was a need to reduce the pilot workload over such journeys. The limits of human manual dexterity and pilot fatigue were the two early prohibiting factors from air carriers conducting longer flights.

Relentless concentration was required by the pilots flying the early aircraft, and any lapse could have fatal results. The requirement for technology that could relieve the pressure from piloting on longer flights was therefore crucial. As a result, the first autopilot was developed to introduce an element of control on the trajectory of airplanes.

In simple terms, an autopilot assists in the control of the aircraft while the pilot takes care of aspects requiring judgment. Allowing the pilot to concentrate on broader aspects of flight, the autopilot takes control of the flight trajectory of the aircraft, normally managing the three basic dimensions of flight – pitch, roll, and yaw.

An autopilot allows the aircraft’s progress to be controlled autonomously, without the manual input of the controls by a human being. However, it is important to note that an autopilot normally must be engaged and disengaged with human input, and generally speaking, the autopilot is there to act as an aid to the pilot, rather than a replacement for them.

Early development of the autopilot

In 1912, an American inventor by the name of Elmer Ambrose Sperry, working in collaboration with a German physicist, Hermann Anschütz-Kaempfe, proposed a system that would allow a moving vehicle (of any type) to maintain a pre-set course. The operation of this new system would be based on connecting one or more gyroscopes and a compass to the control elements of the vehicle in question. With the theory having been successfully demonstrated by the two men, their new system was installed and used on several dozen US Navy vessels and won them immediate worldwide acclaim for its reliability and performance.

With the theory of the autopilot proven and established, it would be Elmer Ambrose Sperry’s son, Lawrence Sperry, who would take on the task of developing a light-weight version of his father’s invention that could be used to control aircraft. A keen aviation enthusiast himself, Lawrence Sperry could already see the advantages that perfecting an autopilot system for aircraft could have to expedite the development of aviation.   

Lawrence Sperry believed that the three flight axes of an aircraft (roll, pitch, and yaw) could be simultaneously controlled by an automatic system if it employed one or several gyroscopes as a reference, maintaining the aircraft’s orientation and state. Sperry had to devise a method by which the aircraft’s control surfaces could be physically linked to gyroscopes, which would allow automated corrections to be made to the flight profile based on the angle of deviation between the flight direction and the original gyroscopic configuration.

Sperry’s invention was known as a ‘gyroscopic automatic pilot’, later simply referred to as “George,” by many aviators. Its innovation was to automatically balance the airplane in flight, thus relieving the pilot from manually having to control the flight control surfaces freeing them up to monitor the engine instruments and carry out other tasks while flying.

Sperry’s first autopilot was born from the concept of assisting pilots during longer flights and reducing their workload, both physical and mental. Flying for extended periods of time at the controls of a basic aircraft was hard physical work, and poor weather or mechanical issues could also add to pilot fatigue on longer flights.

The gyroscopes to be used by Sperry in developing the aviation autopilot would require electrical power to maintain their rotational speed of around 7,000 rpm. However, Sperry solved this use through the use of a wind-driven generator situated on the aircraft’s wing to provide the necessary power. With aircraft performance still largely limited by engine capacity and weight, Sperry’s new autopilot system had to be compact and light. He managed to reduce the overall size of his first autopilot system to just 18 kilograms (39.6 lbs) in weight and the size of a small suitcase of approximately 45 x 45 x 30 centimeters.

Demonstrating Sperry’s new invention

With his new autopilot system developed, it needed to be demonstrated with its potential advantages being publicized to a wider audience. Sperry himself would take on this task, displaying the system’s operation at the Concours de la Securité en Aéroplane (Airplane Safety Competition), which was held in Paris in early 1914.

The 56 aircraft that participated in the 1914 competition presented a wide range of aviation innovations, ranging from assisted starting mechanisms, automatic carburetors, basic stabilization systems, and many other innovations that purported to benefit aviation safety. While the majority of exhibitors originated from France, others, including Sperry, also saw the competition as a perfect platform from which to launch their ideas.

Sperry’s innovation was presented at the competition installed in a Curtiss C-2 single-engine airplane with a hull-shaped lower fuselage. His system would provide an aircraft with automatic stability and control mechanism, through the control of the ailerons, stabilizer, and tail rudder through the use of a set of simple gyroscopes. Sperry demonstrated the system on the Curtiss C-2 accompanied by Emil Cachin, a French mechanic.

When Sperry’s demonstration slot began on June 18, 1914, the Curtiss C-2 took flight from the Buc airfield located near Paris and headed along a pre-designated route along the River Seine, where thousands of spectators and the judging panel had gathered along the riverbank. However, fully convinced of his invention’s capabilities, this was to be no ordinary display.   

Once lined up along the river and with the aircraft flying straight and level, both men onboard the aircraft raised their hands to demonstrate that the aircraft could maintain its flight without any manual input from them. In a second pass in front of the judging panel, and during a demonstration of unfathomable danger, Cachin climbed onto one of the aircraft’s wings, while Sperry placed his hands on his head. As the French mechanic slid himself along the wing of the aircraft, shifting its center of gravity, the aircraft became unbalanced. However, with the gyroscopes kicking in at this point, the aircraft corrected the weight shift by itself, without Sperry intervening.  

Still not satisfied that his system had been fully demonstrated, despite the wild excitement of the crowds on the banks below, in a final pass, both crew members climbed onto the wings to wave to the spectators, proving beyond any doubt just how reliable Sperry’s new autopilot system was. With the demonstration flying display complete, one of the judges boarded the aircraft to validate the system in the air. Sperry conducted one last short flight in which he demonstrated how his plane could take off and land being partially controlled by his new invention.

The subsequent announcement of the results of the competition saw Sperry take first prize, and walk away with the 50,000 francs prize money, along with international acclaim.

The Sperry Corporation went on to develop other gyroscopic instruments, including the artificial horizon and the heading indicator. These systems continue to be fitted in many current today. Even the most automated aircraft, such as the Airbus A350, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the F-35 military jet, come with such instruments fitted as standard should an electrical failure affect the more modern cockpit display screens.

Further advancements

As Sperry was developing his autopilot system, another organization, the Societé de Production Armand Deperdussin had developed a central control lever that could operate ailerons and stabilizers, as well as pedals that could control the rudder. Previously, in early aircraft, each employed different control systems and mechanisms to manipulate the flight control surfaces, with pilots having to understand the flying characteristics of each type. The Deperdussin invention would simply this process, making the operation of aircraft control surfaces somewhat more uniform, and would significantly complement the efficacy of Sperry’s autopilot.

As the interest in and the development of such systems accelerated in the years between 1914 and 1918, early work began on developing the world’s first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which would be guided toward a specific target through the use of gyroscopes. However, with the First World War requiring the expertise of aeronautical engineers globally to boost the war effort, this project was shelved, at least for the time being.

Post-war autopilot development

With the First World War over by 1918, engineers and inventors would once again turn their attention to the automation of flight. The period saw the introduction of a technology referred to as a ‘pilot’s assister’, which, unlike Sperry’s early gyroscopic design, used a pneumatically-spun gyroscope to manipulate an aircraft’s flight controls. The technology was introduced by the United Kingdom’s Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1930.

The further development also included the introduction of hydraulically powered servomechanisms and other advancements that, while increasing the complexities of automated systems, would allow for the simplification of flight in adverse weather conditions or at night, leaving pilots to concentrate on overall flight safety. Sperry’s autopilot system became particularly popular during the 1920s and 1930s as airline transport took off and people began to travel more and further afield.

Indeed, legendary aviator Howard Hughes installed one on the Lockheed Electra aircraft he used to set a new world record for circumnavigating the globe in three days and 19 hours. Hughes’ plane also happened to be fitted with innovative radio and navigational equipment, including a ‘navigation robot’ invented by WL Maxon, which could calculate the aircraft’s exact geographic location.

With the start of World War Two in 1939, which the US would join in 1941, the use of gyroscopic autopilots and navigation computers became far more common, which maximized the capabilities of many aircraft types.  

Commercial applications

After the war came the boom in commercial air travel, and even more demand for flight automation as sector lengths increased rapidly. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, studies showed that an increasing number of fatal aircraft accidents resulted from human error rather than mechanical failure, so increased automation was pursued as the primary means to make air travel safer.

Even during the 1950s, commercial aircraft would employ five crew members in the cockpit comprising two pilots, a flight engineer, a radio operator, and a navigator. Over the next few decades, with airlines needing to cut costs, automation, and improved technology would eventually make those not flying the aircraft redundant, with the introduction of the Boeing 747-400 in 1989 being the first long-haul aircraft that finally eradicated the need for even a flight engineer.

In June 1965, the Hawker Siddeley Aircraft Company of the UK introduced its new Autoland system on a British European Airways Trident at London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Developed and supplied by Smiths Aircraft Industries, its autoland system was a pioneering feature that allowed crews to operate in almost zero visibility conditions. This permitted the Trident to be guided automatically to an airfield, approach the runway, flare, touchdown, and then roll out from the landing runway without a pilot interfering with the controls.  

The introduction of automated landing capability was the next big development in autopilot and would go on to revolutionize aircraft operations in low-visibility conditions, a technology that is still in use today.

Then, in 1986, Airbus demonstrated the first incarnation of a fully automated ‘fly-by-wire’ system on a testbed A300 widebody. Fly-by-wire (FBW) is the generally accepted term for those flight control systems that use computers to process the flight control inputs made by the pilot or autopilot and send corresponding electrical signals to the flight control surface actuators.

The Fly-by-wire arrangement replaces mechanical linkage and means that the pilot inputs do not directly move the control surfaces. Instead, inputs are read by a computer that in turn determines how to move the control surfaces to best achieve what the pilot wants in accordance with which of the available flight control laws is active. Fly-by-wire technology has also become commonplace, ensuring that the aircraft remains both safe and flyable in even the most extreme of circumstances, and is thought to have saved hundreds of aircraft from potential accidents over the years.       

The process of flight can be divided into seven crucial stages – taxi, take-off, climb, cruise, descent, approach, and landing phases. Until recently, modern autopilot using computer technology has been capable of automating all these stages except taxi and take-off. However, on January 16, 2020, Airbus successfully performed the first fully automatic vision-based take-off using an Airbus Family test aircraft at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) in France. The advanced technology of the aircraft was fully exploited with the pilots simply monitoring the aircraft’s performance.

Modern-day autopilots

The modern autopilot is now commonplace in many aircraft, including even the most basic training aircraft and helicopters, too. However, there are still some smaller and older aircraft that remain hand-flown with traditional stick-and-rudder flight controls that require 100% manual input. There are even some smaller commercial passenger planes, such as the Britten-Normal Islander, that are supplied without autopilots as such types are only designed for very short flight sectors. Generally speaking, a commercial airliner must be equipped with an autopilot if it has a capacity of 20 passengers or greater.

Unlike historic autopilot, modern-day autopilot embraces computer software to control many aspects of the airplane, as seen in many modern aircraft types, both civil and military. There are three basic levels of control used in the modern autopilot- 

• A single-axis autopilot that controls an aircraft in the roll axis only. 
• A two-axis autopilot controls an aircraft in the pitch axis as well as roll, with limited pitch oscillation-correcting ability. It may receive inputs from onboard radio navigation systems to provide true automatic flight guidance once the aircraft has taken off until shortly before landing, or its capabilities may lie somewhere between. 
• A three-axis autopilot adds control in the yaw axis as well as pitch and roll, giving fully automated flight control capability in all three flight axes.

These three levels of control are ascending in their level of aircraft control and capability. Generally speaking, it is only a three-axis autopilot that is used in the more modern and complex aircraft, but which adds the most capability to the cockpit and reduces pilot workload the most – the initial goal for Sperry’s first gyroscopic automated system.

Has automation gone too far?

There can be no doubt that the invention of the autopilot has revolutionized aviation since it was first invented by Lawrence Sperry in 1912. Not only has it allowed aircraft and their crews to fly faster, further, and safer, but it has effectively shrunk the world through the ability to take long-haul flights with as few as two of three cockpit crew members onboard.

However, in more recent times, there have been arguments that the reliance on cockpit automation has gone too far. In June 2009, an Air France Airbus A330 flying from Rio De Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 passengers and crew onboard. The subsequent accident report found that mishandling by the pilots ultimately led to the aircraft entering a stall from which they were unable to recover.

It was determined during the investigation that the aircraft’s autopilot had suffered temporary inconsistencies in the airspeed measurements it was receiving from the aircraft due to icing accumulating inside the pitot tubes on the exterior of the aircraft. These inconsistencies caused the autopilot to disconnect.

The crew reacted incorrectly to this, causing the aircraft to enter an aerodynamic stall which the pilots failed to correct. Opponents of aircraft automation later argued that the over-reliance on cockpit automation had come at the expense of basic flying skills, with the Air France crew unable to identify a developing stall or have the expertise to recover the situation effectively.

Summary

Modern-day autopilots incorporate many capabilities that Sperry would have never imagined when he proudly (and spectacularly) displayed his first invention in Paris in 1914. Such new developments include aircraft maintaining a pre-set cruise speed, accelerating or reducing speed in a-pre-programmed manner, tracking a route plan input into the navigation computer by the flight crew before departure, or even aligning the aircraft with the runway, and performing a fully automated take-off or landing.

Yet, the principles of the autopilot remain the same as in Sperry’s day, and his contribution to modern-day air travel cannot be disputed. The advancement of autopilot from a basic gyroscopic-based instrument to modern-day computers that are capable of manipulating all phases of flight is a transition that many remain in awe of.

In little over a century, the enormous capabilities of cockpit technology and automation have seen pressures relieved from pilots to continue improving the safety of flight. But in an age where the development in computer technology is unrelenting and the desire by growing numbers of us to travel by air continues to surge, where the path of cockpit automation will lead us in the future is anyone’s guess.

This approval is seen as a major milestone on the path towards providing the first commercial eVTOL services anywhere in the world. 

For now, the AOC is restricted in its geographical scope to Guandong and Hefei, but EHang is seeking to extend it to more Chinese cities in the near future. 

The first expected application of the EHang’s two-seater EH216-S eVTOL should be in sightseeing tourist flights, but subsequently these unmanned aircraft may be used for urban commuting in the dense Chinese megalopolises. 

When publicly announcing this milestone, EHang highlighted that, in addition to this AOC, it has also been the first advanced air mobility developer in the world to obtain a type certificate, a standard airworthiness certificate and a production certificate for passenger-carrying pilotless eVTOL aircraft. 

The project that is the object of this grant aims to evaluate the integration of hydrogen propulsion into a Cessna Caravan aircraft that would also be fitted with automated flight technology. 

Hydrogen-electric propulsion would confer a reduced noise and thermal signature to the retrofitted 8,000 lb. (3.6 ton) autonomous aircraft, enhancing its mission survivability in certain operational situations. 

In this regard, ZeroAvia will contribute to the project its know-how in the development of hydrogen fuel cell powertrains, while Reliable Robotics, a Silicon Valley startup developing automated flight systems, will take care of the autonomous flight aspects of the program. 

The grant is being channeled through the AFWERX program, which aims to evaluate military applications for several new aerospace technologies.  

Several prominent advanced air mobility startups, including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation and BETA Technologies, are taking part in the AFWERX program, something that may open the door of US defense contracts in the future.