Bruce Crumley

Vertical Aerospace is teaming up with fellow UK company Babcock International to explore a range of potential deployment scenarios of Vertical’s VX4 electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, including cargo transport, defense operations, and emergency medical services (EMS).

Australian aerial logistics and drone delivery company Swoop Aero is working with its national Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in a project aiming to harmonize and streamline the remotely piloted aircraft (RPAS) certification process of both countries.

German developer of electric takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) Lilium says it has signed a par of deals to deliver vehicles to operators of future transport services in Scandinavia and the Benelux countries.

The UK government has released a study it commissioned on the effects of drone activity in coming years, with best-case scenarios in it forecasting an additional $54 billion in economic growth and 650,000 potential new jobs by 2030.

The effective deployment of consumer UAVs on military missions in Ukraine has begun to blur the lines between larger craft built specifically for armed forces and smaller vehicles whose tech was intended for enterprise and leisure operation. Now, aerospace and defense specialist BAE is entering that overlapping space with compact, potentially expendable drones boasting super-sized capacities for military clients.

Aircraft manufacturing group Embraer’s air taxi unit, Eve, has announced a pair of deals related to future urban air mobility (UAM) activities, including supplying its air traffic management software to aerial travel services provider Halo Aviation.

Updated analysis from researchers at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center is offering officials across the US an idea of how well or poorly their states rank in terms of preparing for increased enterprise and public service drone use and provides them ways to improve their readiness as activity nears expected expansion.

European middle-mile drone delivery specialist Dronamics has chosen Australian aviation engineering and manufacturing company Quickstep as its first major partner in producing its automated Black Swan UAVs.

Archer Aviation has selected the Austrian group FACC to supply critical fuselage and wing components in the electric takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) the company is developing for post-certification air taxi use.

The UK government announced Monday that it had given its awaited approval for the creation of a drone “superhighway” spanning the Midlands to the country’s southeast – a 165-mile UAV corridor touted as the longest of its kind.

Leading air taxi developer Joby has announced it has officially begun the process of seeking certification of its electric takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) in the UK, the second country in which it is doing so after its home US market.

A consortium has been formed by UK aviation companies, including Vertical Aerospace, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and Skyports, with the objective of testing and preparing the launch of electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) flight services, like air taxis, in what members call the world’s first full advanced air mobility (AAM) ecosystem.

Just a month after it was announced that Amazon will begin aerial deliveries to people in Lockeford, California, meta-marketplace Amazon revealed Friday that it will roll out similar drone services in College Station, Texas.

Specialized security and tactical drone manufacturer BRINC has launched its Global Rescue Network, which will assist and support humanitarian efforts and disaster response wherever they arise around the world.

US lawmakers, government officials, and even major sports organizations are stepping up to back a Biden administration call to create legislation that would considerably expand the number of actors permitted to undertake anti-drone measures to neutralize potential threats from UAVs.

Global drone giant DJI is apparently having some success in opposing draft legislation that would formally prohibit US government agencies from buying its UAVs, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Drone delivery and services provider DroneUp is moving to use the momentum of its swiftly growing US operations to expand to Europe, where it will develop new business across the continent from a base in Poland.

Score another drones-for-good point for Australia’s UAV and geospatial education provider SheMaps, whose aerial tech introduction and training have led a young Queensland woman to take to the skies in an effort to safeguard the history of the Aboriginal Koko-Muluridji people’s Wallara clan.

Bad people putting lousy ideas into action with the aid of remote controllers are at it again, with police in both the US and Canada recently cuffing pilots using drones to drop contraband into prisons.

In a move to acclimate future users of air taxis in what’s expected to be a showcase market, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company Volocopter has opened a permanent public exhibition in Singapore featuring its VoloCity plane.

Rapidly expanding counter-drone company Dedrone has closed an over-subscribed $30 million Series C-1 fundraising round that will serve to fuel its continued business expansion in the US and abroad. The successful recruitment of backers comes just seven months after the firm attracted $30.5 million in a December Series C effort.