eVTOL

The U.K. Department for Transport publishes guidance for the country’s growing drone and air taxi industries, aiming for routine service within the next five years.

The company is also eyeing a pair of airports in South Carolina to bolster its network in the U.S., where it intends to launch operations as soon as 2026.

The electric jet manufacturer says Atlantic operates sites at more than 30 airport locations within its planned U.S. launch markets, which include Florida and Texas.

Vertiports will connect the two cities with estimated 30-minute flights, a fraction of the two hours it can take to drive between them during peak traffic.

Lift Aircraft has launched pay-per-flight customer experiences with Hexa, its personal electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The manufacturer releases new photos and video of the CityAirbus NextGen, a four-seat eVTOL design for passenger transport, medical services, ecotourism, and more.

The partners have already installed a system at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, with plans to add Frederick Municipal Airport and Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport.

The manufacturer called the acquisition the “first step” of its plan to build a facility capable of churning out 500 air taxis per year in 2025.

The company will inherit several pending patents and government contracts to ramp up development of its hybrid-electric propulsion system.

The two-seat eVTOL, designed for personal ownership, government agencies, and emergency services, is expected to begin test flights by the end of 2024.