Beta Technologies this week demonstrated its Alia CX300 electric aircraft at Shannon Airport in Ireland. The aircraft is set to tour Europe, making multiple stops en route to Norway, where it will be delivered to launch customer Bristow for operational trials.

Vertical Aerospace has conducted its first piloted wingborne flight trials in open airspace with a prototype of its VX4 eVTOL aircraft. The company reported what it billed as a landmark flight on May 27, and said that it is on track to achieve a piloted transition flight during the second half of this year as it works towards type certification in 2028.

Wisk Aero, a Boeing subsidiary developing a pilotless electric air taxi, has partnered with NASA to explore how autonomous aircraft can safely integrate with the National Airspace System under instrument flight rules. The California-based aircraft developer has been working with NASA since 2020 when it joined the agency’s Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign, an initiative meant to facilitate the integration of air taxis, cargo drones, and other novel types of aircraft. 

The Scottish government has awarded £9 million ($12 million) in funding to support ZeroAvia’s plans to manufacture its hydrogen-electric propulsion systems at a new facility near Glasgow Airport. On May 21, the company announced it will build a Hydrogen Center of Excellence in Scotland that will be the main location for producing advanced high temperature proton membrane fuel cell stacks.

Electra Aero reported that wind tunnel tests with a model of its EL9 Ultra Short hybrid-electric aircraft have confirmed that its blown wing design can generate the lift needed to take off and land in just 150 feet. The 20% scale model of the nine-seater was tested in the Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The uncrewed cargo eVTOL aircraft under development at Texas-based start-up Air recently completed night flight trials. According to the company, the demonstration flights were conducted at a site in northern Israel with an undisclosed launch customer, which has clearance to operate the 550-pound payload vehicle under an experimental airworthiness certificate.

The Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAANZ) has awarded Merlin an experimental airworthiness certificate for its Merlin Pilot autonomy platform, clearing it to begin certification flight testing in the country, the company announced on May 22.