Aircraft
Finish Line Still Eludes Advanced Air Mobility Rush
Key milestones set for 2024 and 2025 now appear to be in doubt
Volocopter eVTOL aircraft
Germany-based Volocopter managed to fly a demonstrator model of its two-seat eVTOL aircraft in Paris during the Summer Olympic Games, but it is one of several companies finding type certification to be elusive.

Advanced air mobility (AAM) is where the space race meets the gold rush, with a dwindling group of start-ups scrambling for the elusive “finish line” marked by type certification and service entry for new eVTOL aircraft.

For these companies and their doubtless impatient investors, 2024 is drawing to a close with some important questions answered, but plenty of remaining doubts as to when the hype will be replaced by a sustainable flow of commercial returns from the billions of dollars that have already been plowed into the sector.