Advanced Air Mobility (eVTOL)

SkyDrive Inc. announced it will launch a feasibility study to repurpose the 146 existing rooftop emergency landing sites in Osaka City as eVTOL vertiports, part of the Cabinet Office's Super City Initiative. The project will be conducted with partners including Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Osaka Metro, Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc., Chodai Co. Ltd., and the Organization of Airport Facilitation, with Osaka Metro serving as leader and SkyDrive handling survey design and Civil Aeronautics Act compliance. The study will verify surrounding airspace and obstacle limitation surfaces, survey wind and noise impacts from surrounding buildings, assess floor load capacities and charging infrastructure for repurposing the sites into alternate vertiports, and draft coexistence rules with authorities including the Osaka Municipal Fire Department. The 146 rooftop sites, marked with an H and required on buildings over 100 meters tall under local fire safety regulations, are currently limited to emergency disaster relief, and securing commercial passenger transport permits for them remains a significant regulatory challenge. SkyDrive and Osaka Metro are working toward commercial launch of eVTOL services by approximately 2028 within Osaka Prefecture and Osaka City, areas designated as Super City National Strategic Special Zones.

SkyDrive Inc. has appointed former Toyota executive Taiji Ono as executive vice president and head of global business, and former Airbus executive Gonzalo Ramos as global commercial officer. Ono, who spent nearly 17 years at Toyota Motor Corporation before serving as chief strategy officer at a data platform company, will oversee global business strategy, commercial models and sales strategy, including public-private partnerships in Japan. Ramos, who brings over 22 years of experience in commercial aviation, aircraft leasing and Advanced Air Mobility, including almost 18 years at Airbus, will lead commercial expansion in the United States, Middle East, Europe and Australia, driving aircraft sales contracts and post-delivery maintenance, repair and overhaul support. SkyDrive says it has partnered with airlines, operators, local governments and business partners across 10 countries, and that pre-orders and letters of intent for its SKYDRIVE SD-05 model total 451 aircraft. The company is pursuing type certification with the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, with the aim of launching the aircraft into service in 2028.

Lowe's is launching a drone delivery service in partnership with DoorDash and Alphabet's Wing, making it the first home improvement retailer to use unmanned aerial vehicles for e-commerce fulfillment. The service is available for select products as a pilot program at Lowe's store in Matthews, North Carolina, the company announced on Thursday. Lowe's said customers can receive a curated list of small products, including hand tools, paint supplies, tape, batteries and soap, in as fast as 20 minutes, with the service suited for items weighing up to 2.5 pounds. Customers access drone delivery through the DoorDash app, where Lowe's products are displayed, and select the drone delivery option during checkout. The move follows Home Depot's recent introduction of nationwide express same-day delivery from stores using DoorDash and its pool of on-demand drivers, as retailers push to meet growing customer expectations and compete with marketplaces like Amazon.

Surf Air Mobility Inc. announced it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to serve as a Participating Airspace User in the agency's Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories program. SMART is one component of the FAA's broader overhaul of air traffic management automation, known as the Brand-New Air Traffic Control System, and is built around two tracks: SMART Schedules, which analyzes airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, and airspace conditions months to days before departure to identify potential conflicts, and SMART Trajectories, which supports day-of coordination between airlines and air traffic control from pre-departure through arrival. Under the agreement, Surf Air Mobility will assign subject matter experts from network planning, flight performance engineering, dispatch, and flight operations to the FAA's SMART Innovation Lab, and will contribute operational data and feedback to help refine SMART's scheduling and trajectory models. The company said its participation draws on its experience operating Southern Airways and Mokulele Airlines and on SurfOS, its software operating system powered by Palantir Technologies, which it is developing for the Part 135 aviation industry. Surf Air Mobility said the participation aligns with its broader strategic initiatives, including becoming a platform for advanced air mobility and its plans to be the first Part 135 operator to commercialize electric passenger flights for scheduled service and On Demand charter.

Elroy Air has upsized its previously disclosed PIPE commitments to $175M, with $75M already funded ahead of the closing of its business combination with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VII. Existing investors, including Lockheed Martin Ventures and Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VII, participated in the expanded PIPE financing. Elroy Air recently secured a multi-year U.S. Army contract worth up to $46M, adding to its existing government contracts. Bristow expanded its Chaparral reservations to 15 aircraft from five, alongside a pre-order for up to 100 drones, while Kratos Defense & Security Solutions plans to begin production in late 2026.

Jifeng Technology announced after market close on September 24 that the company, as consortium leader, together with a consortium formed with Les Information and China Tower Jiangsu Branch, has formally signed a procurement contract with the employer Jiangsu Zhongan Construction Investment Group Co., Ltd. The total contract amount is approximately 149 million yuan including tax, consistent with the winning bid amount. The project won by the consortium is the Suqian District low-altitude all-domain smart operations system equipment procurement and supporting services project. The contract stipulates a total amount of 148.882 million yuan including tax. Construction includes intelligent connected network infrastructure, low-altitude takeoff and landing facilities, an integrated low-altitude smart brain platform, and low-altitude application scenarios within the Suqian district. The total construction period is 24 months, with a two-year free maintenance period. On the same day, the company announced the establishment of a wholly owned subsidiary, Jiangsu Jifeng Low-Altitude Technology Co., Ltd., which has completed industrial and commercial registration. Its legal representative is Tian Gangqiang, and the funding source is the company's own funds. The subsidiary will be included in the consolidated financial statements. Previously, the company-led consortium won the bid for the Zhijiang low-altitude infrastructure and supporting scenario construction project EPC general contracting, with a winning bid amount of 289 million yuan. The company is responsible for approximately 87.86 percent of the construction work, about 254 million yuan. In the first half of 2026, Jifeng Technology achieved operating revenue of 1.604 billion yuan, up 9.76 percent year on year, and net profit attributable to the parent company of 5.49 million yuan, up 35.76 percent year on year.

BETA Technologies has launched all-electric flight operations in North Carolina's eLIFT program under the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, or eIPP. Since September 17, the company has flown its ALIA CTOL aircraft on missions including a flyover of the Wright Brothers National Memorial and simulated deliveries of essential healthcare cargo to rural medical access points, covering more than 1,300 nautical miles. Working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Metro Aviation, ECU Health and WakeMed, BETA designed the campaign to connect regional medical centers with rural and coastal communities, including routes between Raleigh Executive Jetport and Pitt-Greenville Airport. The operations use BETA's Charge Cube at Raleigh Executive Jetport, installed in 2024, with more than 15 additional charging sites in development across North Carolina. BETA is participating in seven of the eight eIPP programs selected nationwide and has already supported operational missions in Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana and Texas.

Archer Aviation completed the first city-to-city roundtrip flight of its all-electric Midnight eVTOL aircraft as part of its No Roads tour. The flight, from Salinas to Hollister, was positioned as a proof of concept for future urban air mobility services using the Midnight platform, showing use cases beyond short intra-city hops. Archer Aviation, a US-based aerospace and defense company with a market value of about $4.1b, is building electric aircraft and related services for both commercial and military use. The company's next proof point is Midnight's progress through the FAA Type Inspection Authorization work and the move into eIPP flights in Texas, Florida and New York, which will show whether Archer can shift from high-profile demos to repeatable, regulated operations. Execution risks remain, including high cash burn, ongoing losses and the need for large-scale deployment to justify current growth expectations.

Joby Aviation reported Q2 revenue of $38.64 million against a $30.38 million consensus and raised its fiscal 2026 revenue guidance to $115 million to $125 million, with CEO JoeBen Bevirt saying the company is preparing for commercial service and targeting its first EIPP flights in Dallas-Fort Worth this month. The stock trades at $6.26, down 52.57% year-to-date and 56.49% over the past year, well below its $19.98 52-week high. Joby's FAA Stage 4 certification progress has moved from 6% to 20%, Blade seats sold rose more than 50% year-over-year in Q2, and the company counts a $250 million direct investment from Toyota, a Virgin Atlantic UK partnership, and a Dubai vertiport network among its supports. Against rival Archer Aviation, which carries a $4.02 billion market cap and posted just $5 million in Q2 revenue, Joby's $6.04 billion valuation rests on a larger revenue base. Risks include an operating margin of -1,346.92%, guided H2 2026 cash use of $385 million to $415 million, prior raises of $1.2 billion in February and $576 million in October 2025, and certification timing that could slip into 2027.

Elroy Air announced that Bristow Group Inc. has expanded its early delivery reservations for the Chaparral autonomous cargo aircraft, reserving 10 additional early delivery positions for a total of 15. Bristow previously secured early delivery slots for five Chaparral drones and announced a pre-order agreement for up to 100 Chaparral drones. The announcement follows the first autonomous, uncrewed flight demonstrations conducted in Houma, Louisiana, as part of the Federal Aviation Administration's and the U.S. Department of Transportation's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, in collaboration with government and industry partners. Bristow Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer David Stepanek said the Louisiana demonstrations gave the company a chance to explore how Chaparral could support a range of transportation and logistics missions, adding that Bristow sees potential applications across commercial, government services, and special mission operations. Elroy Air CEO Dr. Andrew Clare said the company was proud to have partnered with Bristow over the last few years and appreciated Bristow's continued confidence in the platform. The Chaparral is an uncrewed, autonomous VTOL aircraft that carries 500+ pounds of cargo, requires no runways or fixed infrastructure, and has a hybrid-electric powertrain with range of up to 450 miles. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, the exclusive U.S. manufacturer of Chaparral, will produce the aircraft at its expanding Sacramento, California facility, with the first production aircraft planned for late 2026.

Amazon is on the precipice of gaining approval to expand its Prime Air drone delivery service from a limited launch area to the whole of Darlington, according to the company's vice-president of Prime Air, David Carbon. The US tech giant began a limited number of flights in February, allowing customers within a 7.5-mile radius of its County Durham site to receive certain items by drone, after announcing in January that Darlington would be its UK test centre, the first time Prime Air had expanded outside the USA. Following more than 500 flights and deliveries, Amazon is now seeking approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to cover the entire town, with Carbon saying the firm expects permission very soon and ultimately aims to expand the service to the whole of the UK. Eligible customers in Darlington can currently receive items within two hours if the package weighs less than 5lb, and staff at the site said their best delivery time so far is 39 minutes. Carbon said the size and weight limitations make about 68% of items people order eligible for drone delivery, and that Prime Air is currently included with an Amazon Prime membership at no additional delivery fee, though this will be evaluated as the service expands.

Archer Aviation's stock surged 24.6% in August, driven by news that the company agreed to acquire three Boeing subsidiaries. The broader market also rose, with the S&P 500 gaining 2.6% and the Nasdaq Composite up 3.9%. On August 10, Archer announced a deal to purchase Boeing's Wisk Aero, SkyGrid, and Insitu units, with Boeing receiving a 16.5% stake in Archer in exchange. Insitu, which is already profitable with about $200 million in annual sales, is expected to immediately boost Archer's revenue and margins. Despite the monthly gain, Archer shares remain down roughly 24% year to date, and the stock has pulled back about 1.2% in early September amid market volatility.

Elon Musk has applauded Heart Aerospace's first flight of its X1 battery-electric demonstrator, which flew for 27 minutes on roughly $5 of electricity, and said an important next step is making it autonomous. The piloted X1 flew on August 12 from Plattsburgh International Airport in New York under an FAA Special Airworthiness Certificate, climbing to 1,100 feet and delivering more than one megawatt of electric propulsion power. Heart Aerospace calls the X1 the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown, and founder and CEO Anders Forslund said the test demonstrated electric flight at the scale of a commercial airliner. The X1 supports development of the ES-30, a 30-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft targeting 200 kilometers of all-electric range and up to 800 kilometers in hybrid operation, with type certification planned for 2031. Heart says the ES-30 could cut aircraft operating costs by more than 40 percent, and the company has attracted a $107 million investment from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, while Air Canada has ordered 30 ES-30 aircraft and invested $5 million in Heart Aerospace. Musk's call for autonomy goes beyond Heart's current roadmap, as the X1 flight was piloted and the ES-30 is presented as a crewed aircraft, and certification remains a hurdle, with the FAA describing a seven-phase process.

NEO Battery Materials Ltd. has entered into a partnership through a Letter of Intent with Liberaware Co., Ltd. and its subsidiary Hinotate Co., Ltd. to jointly innovate on high-performance drone products and evaluate establishing a drone battery manufacturing facility in Japan. The collaboration aims to integrate NEO's battery technology into Liberaware's unmanned aerial systems, which serve major infrastructure operators including East Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. Under the three-year LOI, the parties will assess NEO's manufacturing capabilities in South Korea and consider a joint venture or special-purpose vehicle structure for production in Japan. The agreement is non-binding, with specific terms to be determined after feasibility studies and definitive agreements.

Elroy Air announced the completion of the first autonomous and uncrewed flights authorized under the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, a milestone toward nationwide commercial autonomous cargo operations. The company's Chaparral aircraft, capable of carrying over 500 pounds of payload up to 450 miles, flew a week-long series of missions in Houma, Louisiana, in late August, in partnership with LIFTOFF Louisiana and Bristow Group, transporting packages, medical supplies, and other cargo. Elroy Air was selected for the eIPP in March 2026 as part of Louisiana's application, and Chaparral remains the only purpose-built heavy-payload cargo drone in the program. The flights were conducted under air traffic control oversight at Houma–Terrebonne Airport, with officials praising the safe and disciplined operation. Elroy Air's commercial demand pipeline exceeds 1,400 aircraft, representing over $5 billion in potential revenue, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions will manufacture the Chaparral at its Sacramento facility, with first production aircraft planned for late 2026.

China has declared the low-altitude economy a national strategy under the concept of New Productive Forces. By 2026, cargo drones, agricultural drones, and flying taxis (eVTOL) will begin commercial services in several provinces, creating enormous economic value from the supply chain in airspace below 1,000 meters. Two standout case studies are EHang Holdings, the first Chinese company to receive a Type Certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for commercial eVTOL, and Sichuan Jiuzhou, a state-owned enterprise that produces radar and ADS-B systems and controls air traffic infrastructure. Both companies have strong business moats in terms of regulation and national security. While the world is focused on the EV price war, a new battleground over China's skies has opened, and the winners will be those who secure licenses and infrastructure first.

Thailand has signed an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to host the Second Advanced Air Mobility Symposium 2026, or AAM 2026, from December 1-3, 2026, under the theme "From Vision to Implementation: Enabling the AAM Ecosystem." The signing ceremony was presided over by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. ICAO will invite representatives from all 193 member states, with an expected attendance of around 1,500 participants. Thailand hopes to use this opportunity to showcase its capacity to support future aviation technologies, attract investment, and elevate its status as a regional aviation hub. Additionally, Thailand and ICAO will jointly develop the "Bangkok Statement" to outline guidelines for the adoption of Advanced Air Mobility, building on the Call to Action document from the AAM 2024 meeting in Montreal, Canada. AAM 2026 will feature seminars, exhibitions, and flight demonstrations to build confidence and lay the foundation for the long-term development of Thailand's aviation industry.

Yingboler released its 2026 half-year report, with first-half net profit attributable to the parent company at 118 million yuan, up 216.8% year-on-year. Operating revenue was 2.42 billion yuan, up 77.1% year-on-year; non-GAAP net profit attributable to the parent was 115 million yuan, up 241.8% year-on-year; net operating cash flow was 317 million yuan, down 37.3% year-on-year; earnings per share were 0.3843 yuan. In the second quarter, operating revenue was 1.34 billion yuan, up 62.4% year-on-year; net profit attributable to the parent was 60.87 million yuan, up 130.2% year-on-year. As of the end of the second quarter, total assets were 7.558 billion yuan, up 0.9% from the end of the previous year; net assets attributable to the parent were 3.124 billion yuan, up 2.8% from the end of the previous year. The company's business is mainly concentrated in the new energy vehicle and low-altitude economy sectors. In the new energy vehicle sector, it has become a leading domestic Tier 1 supplier and is actively expanding into new energy commercial vehicles and electric motorcycles. In the low-altitude economy, its eVTOL electric propulsion systems and drone electric propulsion systems have secured project designations from multiple leading companies.

Archer Aviation's shares have surged over 36% in the past month, driven by its acquisition of Boeing's Wisk Aero, SkyGrid, and Insitu units, which will give Boeing a nearly 20% stake in the company. The deal combines autonomy, eVTOL, and uncrewed aircraft capabilities into an end-to-end physical AI platform for aerospace and defense, and adds profitable drone maker Insitu, which generates over $200 million in annual revenue. Additional catalysts include the successful test flight of its Midnight aircraft and Cathie Wood's ARK buying 940,434 shares worth about $4.97 million. However, the company's financials remain weak, with Q2 revenue of only $5 million and a net loss of $263.2 million, while cash burn of $215.3 million per quarter leaves less than two years of runway. Despite the momentum, the stock is down 19% year-to-date, and the deal is expected to close by the end of 2026.

Langjin Technology achieved operating revenue of 321 million yuan in the first half of 2026, supported by its dual-engine strategy of rail transit and new energy. Its international footprint continued to deepen, while new growth areas such as the low-altitude economy and energy storage thermal management accelerated. In the rail transit segment, the company won new contracts for the Grenoble tram project in France and additional orders in Rome, and now has 1,100 units operating across eight overseas cities. It also secured maintenance service orders in five key Chinese cities: Fuzhou, Suzhou, Xi'an, Nanning, and Beijing. In new energy thermal management, the company passed BYD's standard configuration supplier audit for buses and expanded its standard-fit share with manufacturers including CRRC Electric Vehicle, FAW Bus, and Geely Commercial Vehicles. In the low-altitude economy sector, it partnered with leading manufacturers to complete heat pump air conditioning system development for the Volant VE25-100 and COMAC CE25A electric aircraft, and obtained AS9100D aerospace system certification. Cumulative shipments in energy storage thermal management exceeded 80 gigawatt-hours, with innovative products such as an all-in-one integrated liquid cooling unit launched. In addition, the company developed a full range of intelligent variable-frequency heat pump drying products and is advancing intelligent operation and maintenance projects across multiple metro lines.

Zongheng Shares released its 2026 semi-annual report, achieving revenue of 177 million yuan in the first half, up 31.22% year-on-year, with net profit attributable to the parent company narrowing its loss by 11.0667 million yuan. The company is transforming from an equipment supplier to a leader in smart low-altitude scenarios, deepening its full-stack capabilities in hardware, software, and operations vertically, while expanding into emerging scenarios such as weather modification, forestry and grassland, and emergency response horizontally. During the reporting period, the company won a 65.18 million yuan low-altitude comprehensive governance project in Xinye County, Henan, and replicated the Bazhong model in multiple locations. Gross profit margin rose to 50.41%, and the loss after deducting non-recurring items narrowed by 22.27% year-on-year. The company's Yunlong-1P ton-class drone completed its maiden flight, and the Yunlong-1 medium-altitude long-endurance multi-purpose drone system received China's first-unit certification. As of the end of the reporting period, the company held 129 authorized invention patents and a total of 639 intellectual property rights.

Boeing announced plans to sell three of its aerospace and electric vertical takeoff and landing businesses to Archer Aviation. In exchange for the businesses and a $55 million equity investment, Boeing will receive newly issued shares and warrants in Archer, giving it nearly 20% ownership after the deal closes later this year. Boeing retains rights to use Wisk's autonomous flight technology for its commercial and defense aircraft. The divestiture removes a distraction as Boeing works to restore its commercial aircraft business, recently marked by FAA approval of the 737 MAX 7. Boeing trades at about 77 times trailing earnings, a premium to GE Aerospace's 40 times, and management targets $10 billion in annual free cash flow, below the $14 billion generated in 2018.

Drone delivery is moving from pilot projects toward a credible role in retail fulfilment, with Amazon planning to expand Prime Air to nearly 500 US cities and towns by the end of 2026 and Walmart having completed more than one million drone deliveries. Walmart is working with Wing on a network of more than 270 locations planned for 2027, while DoorDash received FAA Part 135 air-carrier certification in July and launched DoorDash Air, and Uber has agreed to introduce Zipline drone delivery through Uber Eats with a target of one million drone deliveries a day by the end of 2029. The future is likely a hybrid model in which drones handle small, lightweight, time-sensitive purchases in selected suburban and metropolitan areas, while vans and couriers continue to serve larger or consolidated orders. Regulation remains a key gateway, with the FAA proposing a Beyond Visual Line of Sight framework in 2025 and the UK Civil Aviation Authority aiming to enable routine BVLOS operations through 2027, but cost competitiveness will depend heavily on utilisation, delivery density, and increasing autonomy.

The Cabinet has acknowledged necessary and urgent support measures to begin the U-Tapao Airport and Eastern Aviation City development project, in line with a resolution of the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee, with the goal of having the measures take effect by 30 September 2026. Key measures include allowing operators to deduct investment and operating expenses at twice the rate, issuing a special EECa Visa for foreigners, reducing corporate income tax for international air transport operators, and lowering registration fees for property leases and transfers. The Office of the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee estimates that these measures will help stimulate about 1.3 trillion baht in private investment over the project's lifetime, create more than 63,701 jobs, add about 400,000 foreign tourists per year, and generate more than 37 billion baht in gross domestic product in the first year of operation.