Archer Aviation has begun test flights with its Midnight eVTOL prototype at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, marking its first flights outside the U.S., the California-based aircraft manufacturer announced on July 2. Flight test operations in the UAE will focus on evaluating the aircraft’s performance in hot, humid, and dusty conditions. Midnight’s debut flight in Abu Dhabi arrived on the heels of Joby Aviation’s first eVTOL flights in Dubai, which the rival air taxi manufacturer announced on June 30.

VoltAero has reached an agreement with a pair of prospective new investors who will support plans to build its Cassio family of hybrid-electric regional aircraft in the Malaysian state of Sarawak. On July 2, the French start-up announced that it has signed a letter of intent with SEDC Energy of Malaysia and France’s ACI Groupe.

A pair of railway companies and Suzuki Motor Corporation have backed a pre-Series D funding round that raised a further ¥8.3 billion ($57 million) for Japanese eVTOL aircraft manufacturer SkyDrive. The company announced the boost to its capital reserves on July 4, confirming that it has now raised a total of ¥43 billion to support work to bring the three-seat SD-05 vehicle to market.

By September, eVTOL aircraft manufacturer Air expects to open its new manufacturing site in Israel, which will supplement its main production capacity in Texas. The U.S.-based company intends to build both uncrewed and piloted versions of its Air One vehicle, and recently made an agreement for engineering group EDAG to provide the main aerostructures for production models.

Ascendance expects to complete the assembly of the first full-scale prototype of its Atea hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft by early 2026. This model will feature the latest iteration of the French start-up’s Sterna propulsion system, which has been refined over the past two years with extensive evaluation on an iron bird testbed.

Vertiport developer Skyports Infrastructure has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ajman Transport Authority to collaborate on “smart aerial transport infrastructure,” laying the foundation for eVTOL air taxi services in the emirate. The partners pledged to jointly research and develop vertiport facilities, identify suitable locations to build them, conduct feasibility studies, and enhance “technical and operational readiness,” according to Skyports, which announced the partnership on July 8.

A team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine, has developed a tool that could help eco-conscious operators make more informed decisions when it comes to reducing their environmental impact. “Our findings show that we don’t have to choose between reducing carbon emissions and tackling other warming pollutants. We can find a balance that leads to meaningful progress,” said Michael Prather, the lead author of the UC Irvine study, which was published in the journal Nature.