Welcome back to In/Flight! It was another busy Dubai Air Show. But while the headlines focused on airlines inking new orders, the real action was happening far from the showgrounds. From the engineering labs to the iconic Wall Street heliport, we saw further proof that disruptive technologies like eVTOLs are fast becoming reality.

Long haul reads

Is the US commuter flight market ready to go electric?

A third of flights in the US are less than 250 miles - which is already within range for electric planes. Yet the true size for the electric flight market is only one percent of the commercial market due to regulatory restrictions, the less popular regional routes, and the small number of passengers these aircraft can hold. Nevertheless, a McKinsey report found that if factors align, the short-haul segment could grow from $75bn to $115bn by 2035, closing in on 700 million passengers a year. 

Why airlines struggle to innovate

Because of its history, and safety-first mindset, aviation is an industry that always focuses on finding better versions of existing solutions rather than different, disruptive ones... The result, is an industry that talks a lot about retailing, but struggles to think like a retailer, writes Iñaki Uriz Millan.

Rolls-Royce runs UltraFan at full power, completes 100% SAF campaign

On the sidelines of the Dubai Airshow 2023, Rolls-Royce announced it has achieved a significant milestone by successfully running its UltraFan technology demonstrator to maximum power at its facility in Derby, UK.

The UltraFan demonstrator engine is the world’s largest aero-engine ever built, aims to deliver a 10 percent improvement in efficiency over the Trent XWB. “We estimate that to reach Net Zero flying by 2050, a combination of highly-efficient, latest-generation gas turbines such as UltraFan operating on 100 percent SAF are likely to contribute around 80 percent of the total solution,” Simon Burr, Group Director of Engineering, Technology and Safety at Rolls-Royce, commented in a press release.

🏎️ The all-new electric Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? A video on TikTok by eVTOL developer Xpeng of a sports car transforming into an eVTOL. Marketing gag or one to watch?

🚁 Archer Aviation inks another deal, this time signing a memorandum of understanding for up to 100 of its eVTOL aircraft with Air Chateau, a UAE-based private helicopter service company. The deal is valued at $500 million.

💸 Y Combinator’s portfolio companies are known for growing fast. But getting a 15-seater electric plane into service less than 36 months from now? That would be something!

👜 A380s may be flying for longer than thought, just not in their original form. Emirates announced it is launching a unique collection of luggage, bags, and accessories, all fashioned from upcycled materials from its retrofitted A380 and 777-300 fleets.

💰 ££ incoming. 9 SAF projects in the UK receiving £50+k in government funding. Check out the list of projects.

🚕 A new face on an iconic helipad. Joby Aviation has successfully performed an exhibition flight in New York City, marking the first-ever electric air taxi flight in the city and the first time Joby Aviation’s aircraft has flown in an urban setting.