Archer Aviation is suing rival eVTOL aircraft developer Vertical Aerospace over alleged patent infringement. In a lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Texas, Archer has complained that Vertical’s new Valo design illegally copies its Midnight aircraft.

Sweden's Saab is preparing to make the first flight of an uncrewed fighter-sized demonstration aircraft in 2027. The project is gathering pace as the NATO member state solidifies a strategy for its future combat aircraft program by 2030 in a process that could see it partner with other nations or decide to go it alone.

ATR has given itself until the end of the decade to determine whether to proceed with plans to bring a hybrid-electric regional aircraft to market. At the European airframer’s annual results press conference on February 18, CEO Nathalie Tarnaud Laude told reporters that the learnings from the research and technology work it is doing as part of European Union-backed Clean Aviation projects will support the decision-making process for its Evo feasibility study.

XTI Aerospace has all but abandoned its plans to bring the TriFan 600 ducted-fan VTOL aircraft to market. After more than a decade of research and development work on the six-passenger business aircraft, the company has shelved the program and shifted its focus toward drones.

Air New Zealand has completed a four-month-long flight demonstration campaign with Beta Technologies’ Alia CX300 electric airplane, the airline announced on February 17. According to Air New Zealand, the Alia CX300 traveled about 13,000 kilometers (7,000 nm) over more than 100 flights, visiting 12 airports across the North and South Islands.

Vertical Aerospace this week becomes the latest advanced air mobility start-up to converge on Miami, touting a transportation revolution with its Valo eVTOL aircraft. Rivals including Archer, Beta Technologies, and Wisk (as well as the now-defunct Lilium) all view the affluent and crowded South Florida corridor from Miami to West Palm Beach as a prime early adopter of air taxi services.