Soon, a very different kind of Butterfly—the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi from manufacturer Overair—may grace the Golden State’s skies following a partnership between Overair and Clay Lacy Aviation. The FBO network and infrastructure developer is working with the manufacturer to introduce advanced air mobility (AAM) services across Southern California.

The core focus of the strategic collaboration will be on vertiports and a concept of operations for Butterfly and other AAM aircraft. Clay Lacy Aviation will spearhead the development of electric charging infrastructure and operational logistics.

“Ultra-quiet, all-electric aircraft bring the promise of convenient and efficient transportation, easing traffic congestion and reducing travel times,” said Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation.

Overair, meanwhile, will bring expertise in aircraft integration, certification, and maintenance, as well as flight path planning and user and vertiport software. The manufacturer will also work to get the public on board for AAM services.

“AAM is an ideal addition to Southern California’s transportation network, creating a new option for fast, safe, and quiet transportation in the region,” said Valerie Manning, chief commercial officer of Overair. “We have been working with our partners at Clay Lacy [Aviation] for over a year and are delighted to announce our shared plan. We are confident that this strategic collaboration will leverage our respective strengths.”

Standing up vertiports will be a key component of the partnership, providing Clay Lacy Aviation hubs out of which to fly Butterfly. The vertiports figure to feature heavily in Overair’s concept of operations for AAM services in the region, which will dictate exactly how Butterfly and other air taxis fly.

Overair completed its first full-scale Butterfly prototype in December, joining a handful of manufacturers to have actually built an eVTOL design. The aircraft—designed to fly a pilot and up to five passengers on 100 sm (87 nm) zero-emission trips, cruising at 174 knots—is expected to begin flight testing this year.

“As we continue to make strides developing Butterfly, we’re also focused on partnering with infrastructure leaders to ensure that operations using this new mode of transit can be scaled quickly and efficiently,” said John Criezis, head of mobility operations at Overair.

Overair and Clay Lacy Aviation intend to install electric charging infrastructure across Southern California, starting with the latter’s FBO locations at John Wayne Airport (KSNA) in Orange County and Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) in Los Angeles. 

According to the partners, their intent is to cover the broad needs of all AAM operators rather than a single standard. Overair, for example, is one of many eVTOL manufacturers that signed onto the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) endorsement of the combined charging system (CCS) standard for electric aviation.

CCS is designed to support all electric vehicles, ground or air. It’s the most widely used global standard for electric ground vehicles but is steadily losing out to Tesla’s North American charging system (NACS) alternative. For air taxis, Joby Aviation is pushing its global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) as the industry standard.

A pair of CCS supporters—Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies—have publicly clashed with Joby over which system should be adopted universally. Clay Lacy Aviation, however, intends to build infrastructure that fits both proposals.

“Clay Lacy Aviation is committed to installing the electrical infrastructure to support all makes and models of electric aircraft, both fixed wing and eVTOL, to encourage the adoption of electric flight,” Cutshall told FLYING. “In planning our new FBO development at John Wayne Airport, we are speaking with multiple OEMs and our local utility provider to ensure that the electric infrastructure we build out can support both CCS and GEACS charging protocols.”

Joby this week agreed to install GEACS chargers in the New York City region, following a partnership with Atlantic Aviation to electrify FBO terminals in New York and Los Angeles. Both Archer and Beta also signed partnerships with Atlantic to add CCS systems at other company locations. Joby will also install a GEACS charger at Clay Lacy Aviation’s John Wayne FBO.

It’s possible that one system will entirely supplant the other as OEMs and operators pick a side—a scenario that appears to be unfolding in the U.S. electric ground vehicle industry. But whether CCS or GEACS wins out, Clay Lacy Aviation intends to be able to serve both.

Overair’s agreement with Clay Lacy Aviation comes on the heels of similar arrangements with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and the city of Arlington, Texas, to launch AAM services in the North Texas region. The manufacturer plans to deliver aircraft to customers in India and South Korea, working with local partners to develop infrastructure and operational plans.

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Surf Air Mobility (SAM), a regional air mobility company that retrofits Cessna Grand Caravans with electric or hybrid-electric powertrains, on Thursday signed agreements to provide its technology to a pair of operators in Kenya. The two firms, Safarilink and Yellow Wings, each agreed to install SAM’s proprietary powertrain following its FAA certification, targeted for 2026. Both aim to be all-electric in 2027.

Safarilink connects domestic scheduled flights to locations in Kenya and Tanzania using a fleet of 12 aircraft, eight of them Cessna 208Bs. It makes more than 30 flights per day to 18 destinations. Yellow Wings’ fleet, meanwhile, comprises two 208Bs and two 208B EXs. The air operator serves more than 500 airfields in East Africa.

“Implementing Surf Air Mobility’s electric powertrain technology will help us reduce the noise and minimize the climate impact of our flights as we help people from all over the world to experience our region’s incredible ecosystem,” said Alex Avedi, CEO of Safarilink.

SAM has an exclusive agreement with Cessna parent company Textron Aviation to electrify the Grand Caravan, making it Textron Aviation’s sole supplier of electric and hybrid-electric powertrains for that model. SAM also agreed to purchase as many as 150 Cessna EX single-engine turboprops to convert to a nine-seat variant. The first 20 deliveries are expected in the first half of this year.

The company’s vision is to use its modified Caravans to connect airports with sustainable, short-haul direct service, particularly in North America. It claims the aircraft will be “immediately operable” at more than 5,000 public use airports in the U.S., with no charging system installation required for hybrid-electric models.

More broadly, however, SAM is focused on business in regions that are already key markets for the Caravan, and which have shown themselves to be early adopters of emerging mobility technology. Kenya—home to Caravan operators such as Safarilink and Yellow Wings and committed to a 100 percent clean energy transition by 2030—appears to fit the bill.

“The Caravan is an amazing aircraft on which to develop our electrified powertrain, and we believe Safarilink and Yellow Wings’ operations are perfectly suited to demonstrate the benefits of our technology,” said Stan Little, CEO of SAM. “We believe Africa is at the cutting edge of regional air mobility.”

Added Christian Strebel, CEO of Yellow Wings: “We strongly believe in alternative propulsion for air travel. We have always been the frontrunners in adopting new systems and innovations. Kenya, with 91 percent carbon-free power generation, is the ideal country to spearhead this movement.”

SAM is in the process of developing supplemental type certifications for the hybrid and all-electric versions of its Caravan. The firm is targeting a 50 percent reduction in operating costs, with a 100 percent drop in carbon emissions for fully electric models.

“Our goal is to deploy our proprietary electrification technology on a global scale, in addition to our own network,” said Fred Reid, global head of business development for Surf Air Mobility. “Upgrading Safarilink’s and Yellow Wings’ Caravan fleet with our electrified powertrains unlocks new possibilities. As air travel economics change with electrification, we believe Safarilink and Yellow Wings can improve current services, launch new viable routes, and reduce environmental impact.”

The agreements with the two Kenyan firms are just the latest in SAM’s global push to bring electric aircraft to market at scale.

In October 2022, the company signed a $450 million deal with Jetstream Aviation Capital, the largest global aircraft lessor focused exclusively on commercial turboprop regional aircraft and engines. Over six years, SAM will be able to purchase new and used Caravans and Pilatus PC-12s, as well as enter sale and purchase agreements or separate binding lease agreements for each aircraft. The Miami-based lessor, meanwhile, plans to purchase up to 250 powertrains.

In November, SAM agreed to electrify Caravans within the existing fleet of Azul, Brazil’s flag carrier and largest airline. Azul operates 27 208Bs serving 80 destinations across Brazil.

But perhaps the company’s biggest update came in August, when it closed the acquisition of Southern Airways. SAM claims the merger will create the largest commuter airline in the U.S., based on the companies’ 2022 scheduled flight departure figures. Combined, the firms that year served 450,000 passengers across 48 cities, with more than 75,000 departures.

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At the request of the state legislature, the Utah AAM Working Group, part of the Utah Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division, this week released a legislative report and study on the implementation of AAM services in regions such as the Salt Lake City metro area.

The Utah AAM Infrastructure and Regulatory Study is a 58-page framework—similar to the FAA’s Innovate28 and its previously released AAM blueprint—that identifies the benefits, limitations, assets, timelines, and funding mechanisms associated with the state’s adoption of these emerging services. It does not establish any new rules or regulations but simply provides guidance.

The Utah Legislature also called on researchers to review state laws and identify any changes that could be made to speed the development of the state’s AAM operations. But according to the report, Utah already has plenty of potential to support technologies like drones and air taxis.

“Through leadership foresight, from the legislature to state agencies, Utah has positioned itself to embrace AAM,” the report reads. “The state already has significant assets in place that could be utilized in early implementation of advanced air mobility.”

Researchers identified several positive effects AAM could have on the state, the two biggest being a reduction in carbon emissions—since many drones and air taxi designs are electric—and “clear and compelling” economic benefits.

The report suggests that AAM services would create the potential for thousands of high-paying jobs in vehicle manufacturing, maintenance, and vertiport operations. For example, Zipline—which operates drone delivery in Utah through a partnership with Intermountain Healthcare—hires FAA-certificated drone pilots directly out of high school and helps them to pay for college. Utah is also one of seven states where Walmart and delivery partner DroneUp are flying.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers could bring further employment opportunities. Two of the U.S.’s largest, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, have begun building production plants in Georgia and Ohio, respectively, far from their California headquarters. Both firms expect to produce hundreds of vehicles and thousands of lucrative jobs.

On the other hand, the biggest limitations of AAM may be safety and privacy concerns from Utah residents and impacts on local or migrating animals, according to the report.

Researchers believe that Utah has plenty of readily available assets that could serve the AAM industry with some slight modifications. They note, for example, that the Aeronautics Division is already assisting airports with electrification and vertiport installation. 

The report considers airports, unsurprisingly, to be “prime” locations for AAM operations. It lists South Valley Regional Airport (U42), Skypark Airport (KBTF), and Spanish Fork Airport (KSPK) as potential urban air mobility hubs, adding that local or rural airports could be turned into regional air mobility hubs or drone delivery service centers.

Based on data from the Wasatch Front Regional Council, the report also identifies potential sites for vertiports in communities without airports: underutilized parking garages. Shopping center parking lots, for example, could be transformed into landing pads by rearranging paint and lighting.

Utah’s “excellent” statewide fiber-optic and cellular network coverage should allow drones to easily broadcast data and communicate with remote pilots when flying beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS)—an FAA requirement.

The state’s electric grid, meanwhile, produces around 37,000 MWh of electricity per year to charge eVTOL or other electric aircraft. Utah relies on a shared grid system, which allows it to draw some additional power as demand increases. But its electric substations may require upgrades to support an influx of AAM aircraft. And at first, the state may need to build vertiports selectively based on the capacity of local facilities.

The Roadmap

The report examines what AAM operations in Utah may look like in various phases, zooming in to the next two to three years and zooming out decades from now.

“Everything does not have to be in place on day one,” the report reads. “The prudent approach is to follow a phased implementation plan that allows government and markets to grow one step at a time and adjust as appropriate to shifting market demands.”

Researchers broke down the plan into four segments based on “current industry projections.” The initial phase, which covers the next two to three years, will focus mainly on community outreach and public engagement. It will also involve the initial buildout of infrastructure, such as a statewide unmanned traffic management (UTM) system.

A UTM—and an Aerial Traffic Operations Center for the personnel managing it—is one of the “hard” infrastructure components Utah will need to add to its AAM ecosystem. Its creation, along with the improvement of cellular and internet broadcast receivers, will be one of the more challenging tasks the state faces.

In addition, Utah will require “soft” infrastructure improvements: more personnel, man hours, and expertise to name a few. The designing of aerial corridors, adaptation of land-use planning, and development of AAM policies are also on the agenda.

Phase two of the plan, expected to last three to five years, is primarily aimed at expanding UTM capacity and building the initial vertiport sites, with continued local outreach and engagement. Matt Maass, director of Utah’s aeronautics division, told the Salt Lake Tribune that 2028—which would fall under this stage—could mark the entry of AAM services such as electric air taxis.

The third stage is planned to last seven to 15 years. By this point, Utah hopes to have comprehensive UTM services, including a fully operational Aerial Traffic Operations Center. Vertiport infrastructure and operations should be at a “commercially viable” level, providing capacity for daily commutes.

The final phase, which could stretch from anywhere between 15 and 30 years, will tie everything together. By then, the state should have a fully integrated electric- and hydrogen-hybrid aviation and ground transportation system. This network would connect urban and rural communities statewide, the report predicts.

To get there—or to even advance beyond phase one—Utah will need plenty of funding. As things stand, municipalities looking to add vertiport infrastructure can apply for loans from the state. They can also issue general or revenue-obligated bonds if they expect to make money from those sites. And through a pair of recent House bills, federal financing is now becoming available. More is expected when the FAA is reauthorized.

“Mechanisms to acquire the money needed to pay for the new technologies are already in place, and more funding is anticipated from the federal government,” the report reads. “Most importantly, Utah’s preparation allows the state the flexibility to start at a methodical, yet efficient, pace.”

Researchers suggest the state might consider issuing bonds, appropriating general revenues, or using green revolving funds to help finance AAM projects. Potential funding mechanisms could also include fees (such as for landing, airspace usage, or permitting) and sales or excise taxes (such as on aircraft sales or facility charges).

How Utah Could Get AAM Laws on the Books

Though the report is not meant to create any new AAM rules, the researchers do suggest a few initial steps legislators could take to get the regulatory ball rolling.

For example, they point out that Utah Senate Bill 166, passed last year, defines the term “AAM system” and calls for state preemption of local AAM laws. Legislators could consider adding definitions such as “aerial transit corridor,” “vertiport,” or “UTM” to the rule, the report suggests.

To address property rights concerns, Utah could establish avigation easements, which would essentially give the state the rights to use airspace above private property, with the owner’s permission. The creation of an AAM Program Office and formal processes for licensing vertiports and registering AAM aircraft could also clear up things.

Researchers also say the state should consider requiring all municipalities to add the terms “drone package delivery” and “aerial taxi operations” to their approved conditional use permit lists. This would provide a basis for early AAM entrants to operate legally. Enacting zoning language for takeoff and landing sites and “vertiport overlay zones” could help municipalities further prepare for the birth of a new sector.

“Advanced air mobility is an entirely new transportation system and presents new opportunities and challenges never before encountered by departments of transportation,” the report concludes. “However, national-scale solutions for the entirety of the system do not need to be resolved prior to Utah implementing the first steps and phases toward active operations.”

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