Wisk Aero has successfully flown the first full-scale prototype of its autonomous four-passenger eVTOL air taxi, the Boeing-backed aircraft developer announced on December 16. According to Wisk, the Generation 6 aircraft took off, hovered, and performed some flight stabilization maneuvers during its inaugural flight, which took place at the company’s flight test facility in Hollister, California. 

Electra Aero has submitted a type certificate application with the FAA for its nine-passenger, hybrid-electric EL9 Ultra Short aircraft, the company announced on December 10. The Virginia-based manufacturer intends to certify the EL9 under the FAA’s Part 23 rules, which establish airworthiness standards for small, normal-category airplanes with up to 19 seats. 

Boeing-backed advanced air mobility start-up Evio emerged from stealth on December 10 with the unveiling of its planned hybrid-electric regional airplane, the Evio 810, a clean-sheet design that the company aims to bring to market in the early 2030s. Evio claims to have secured preorders for up to 450 Evio 810 aircraft from two major airlines.

UrbanLink Air Mobility has signaled its intention to deploy the MDA1 eViator electric regional airliner being developed by German start-up MD Aircraft. The companies announced the signing of a letter of agreement covering preorders for 20 of the nine-seater on December 11. According to MD Aircraft, it now holds 110 preorders for the eViator model, which it expects to enter service in the early 2030s.

Green Taxi Aerospace says it expects to secure the first supplemental type certificates in 2027 for hybrid-electric technology that reduces emissions from airliners taxiing to and from airport gates. At the Future Aero Festival in Amsterdam earlier this month, the U.S. start-up’s CEO and founder David Valaert said it is now working with Delta Air Lines and Embraer to fit the system to E175 regional jets.

Smartflyer is aiming to achieve the first flight with its SF-1 light aircraft in the late summer of 2026. The Swiss start-up displayed the four-seater at the Aero Asia show held in Zhuhai in late November, emphasizing flight training, which it sees as the likely first application.