The Air Current

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Now that Vertical Aerospace has reached an agreement with its primary creditor, Mudrick Capital Management, I caught up with CEO Stuart Simpson to discuss the #eVTOL developer's plans moving forward — and why he thinks Vertical is in a fundamentally stronger position than some struggling competitors. Full story in The Air Current.

Last week, the transportation world learned that former Congressman Sean Duffy had been nominated to be the next leader of the Department of Transportation in a somewhat surprising piece of news that cast aside other names that had been rumored as picks for the job. With that in mind, my latest report for The Air Current simply asks what Duffy's past may say about his future -- and how his career so far may indicate how he will approach the sprawling department and more specifically the complexities of the aviation industry. Read on here: https://lnkd.in/eq4iuzcr

One year and one week after Joby and Volocopter demonstrated their eVTOLs at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, the city of New York has selected a new operator for the facility — a joint venture between Skyports Infrastructure and Groupe ADP that is all in on an electric future. Details in my latest dispatch for The Air Current.

Deep reporting from The Air Current on Embraer's next new airplane. I sat down with CEO Francisco Gomes Neto recently for a wide ranging interview. The Brazilian plane maker is deep into its 'harvest' and ramping up production of its existing aircraft, but it's looking over the horizon at a wide ranging partnership in the Kingdom and even the prospect of Saudi funds unlocking its next big project. This is a big one to watch. #staycurrent

When Vertical Aerospace rolled out its "Flightpath 2030" on Tuesday, it failed to answer the question on everyone's minds: "What about funding?" Well, here's the latest in the eVTOL developer's ongoing discussions with Mudrick Capital Management, who really, really wants to give it money.

I spent two-and-a-half years writing about the knock-down, drag-out legal fight between Wisk and Archer before the parties apparently settled their differences last year. Well, guess what: that litigation had a bonus round. My latest story for The Air Current explains the details of their most recent dispute, thanks to a judge who decided that if Wisk and Archer were going to tie up so many of the court’s resources, the public had a right to know what was going on.

There has been a lot of attention on the FAA’s position regarding dual flight controls for eVTOL pilot training, but no one seems to have asked EASA what they think. I did — and their response may come as a surprise to many people in the industry! It’s one of the many interesting tidbits to have emerged from my study of the 880-page powered-lift SFAR. For The Air Current, I summarized some of the key provisions of the rule and their significance in a broader industry context.

Six weeks ago, I started gathering threads on both candidates for U.S. President in an effort to truly understand how either may impact the aviation industry should they win. With the election now a week away, my latest for The Air Current is a culmination of that work: two pieces (one for each candidate) that go in depth in an attempt to understand some of the policy issues at play, focusing on areas where the candidates have signaled meaningful positions on relevant topics. You can read them now at the links in the comments!

Two key Federal Aviation Administration officials, David Boulter and Marc Nichols, are set to depart the agency, continuing a string of leadership changes at the U.S. aviation regulator. Will Guisbond reports.