Horizon Aircraft has enlisted hydrogen propulsion specialist ZeroAvia to help develop a hydrogen-powered version of its six-passenger Cavorite X7 hybrid-electric VTOL air taxi, the company announced on July 15. According to Horizon, the partners aim to integrate ZeroAvia’s 600-kilowatt ZA600 hydrogen-electric powertrain with the Cavorite model, which the company has been developing with a hybrid-electric configuration for the past five years.

Joby Aviation appears to have flown a hydrogen-powered uncrewed aerial system (UAS) for nine hours straight during a June 30 mission at the Pendleton UAS Range near Eastern Oregon Regional Airport (KPDT). According to FlightAware tracking data, an aircraft registered to Joby, with the tail number N30FR, was flying in circles approximately 2 miles northwest of KPDT from 10:46 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. on June 30, covering a total of 467 miles.

The first flights booked through Flyvbird’s AI-driven platform are set to take off in September, the company confirmed on July 11. Flyvbird has established partnerships with a pair of undisclosed European charter operators to provide services in turboprop singles such as the Cessna Caravan, connecting Friedrichshafen in southern Germany with Mönchengladbach in the northwest of the country and Strausberg near Berlin.

ERC System is preparing to start flight testing with a full-scale technology demonstrator for its multi-role eVTOL aircraft. The German company is completing assembly of a second example of the Romeo model as it advances ambitions to bring it to market in 2030.

Vertical Aerospace has completed the closing of the public offering it announced earlier this year. On July 11, the UK company said the net proceeds from the $60 million raised will extend available cash to support work on its VX4 eVTOL aircraft through the middle of 2026.

Vet Airways, a new Cambodian start-up, plans to connect Southeast Asian coastal communities using Elfly’s electric Noemi aircraft. On July 9, the spinoff from transportation group Vireak Buntham Express signed a memorandum of understanding with the Norwegian manufacturer covering the purchase of five aircraft in a deal potentially valued at $50 million.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has tasked Bell Textron with an X-plane demonstrator high-speed VTOL aircraft for its Speed and Runway Independent Technologies program. On July 9, the manufacturer announced its selection for Phase 2 of this program, saying it is responsible for design, construction, ground testing and certification of the demonstrator in the build-up to Phase 3, which would involve flight testing.

Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has established a subsidiary in the U.S., the UK-based airship developer announced on July 10. The new HAV USA subsidiary brings the company closer to its defense and industry customers in North America, where the company sees growing demand for its Airlander 10 hybrid-electric airship.