The Dubai-based Ambitious Air Mobility Group has firmed up an order for eight Lilium Jet eVTOL aircraft. The company, which is a joint venture involving business aviation services group Luxaviation, Sigma Air Mobility, and The Ambitious Group, on December 5 confirmed it had signed a contract that also covers options for six more of the six-passenger aircraft.

Textron Aviation has delivered four Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft to Surf Air Mobility, a regional air services group that is developing electrified powertrains to modify the single-engine utility turboprops. These deliveries mark the first four of 20 Grand Caravan EX aircraft that Surf Air Mobility ordered last year.

Abu Dhabi officials have confirmed an agreement for some production of Archer’s four-passenger Midnight eVTOL aircraft to be manufactured in the emirate. The deal signed on December 6 between the U.S. manufacturer and the Abu Dhabi Investment Office also clears the way for the launch of eVTOL air taxi services.

A cohort of U.S. Air Force service members have completed a four-week maintenance training program with Joby Aviation. Several aircraft technicians and one flight test pilot participated in the electric aircraft maintenance training program, which took place at the company’s flight test and manufacturing facilities in Marina, California. In addition to classroom instruction, trainees got hands-on practice completing inspections and preflight checks on Joby’s production prototype JAS4-1 eVTOL aircraft. 

U.S. flight services group Helicopters Inc. plans to add up to 50 of Eve Air Mobility’s four-passenger eVTOL aircraft to its fleet. Under a letter of intent signed on December 4, the rotorcraft operator also agreed to use Eve’s Vector air traffic management system when the eVTOLs enter service as well as the manufacturer’s TechCare product support program.

Crisalion Mobility has logged another provisional order for its Integrity eVTOL aircraft, announcing an agreement for 20 units on December 4 with Florida-based operator UrbanLink Air Mobility. The Spanish start-up reported it now holds “pre-sales” agreements for 145 of the five—passenger, piloted vehicle from customers on four continents, including Wilbur Air in Australia and iJet Aviation in Spain.

EcoPulse, the distributed hybrid-electric propulsion demonstrator aircraft developed jointly by Daher, Safran, and Airbus, has completed its flight test campaign. During a press conference in France on Tuesday, the partners reported that the project has provided “crucial insights” into the potential design, certification, production, and operation of such an aircraft.