Beta Technologies is bursting at the seams. Less than three years after opening its 200,000-square-foot South Burlington manufacturing facility — the first large-scale electric aircraft plant in the United States — the company is doubling down on Vermont with 1,000 new hires, medical flight pilots, and a $3.5 billion backlog of committed orders. This is what patient, infrastructure-first AAM strategy looks like at scale.
Japan’s SkyDrive has secured agreement with the JCAB on its General Certification Plan for the SD-05 eVTOL, marking one of the most significant milestones yet on the road to type certification and a planned 2028 commercial launch in Japan and the U.S.
Before eVTOL, before EVs, before any of the advanced air mobility we cover here — there was electric rail. Now, a century after electrification transformed the railroads, MBTA and Maryland Transit Administration are issuing a joint RFP for battery-electric locomotives, proving the grandfather of electric mobility is still very much in motion. The revolution didn’t start with Tesla. It started on the tracks.
Georgia is quietly becoming one of the most active states in the advanced air mobility and UAS ecosystem — and AGS Xchange 2026 is where that community converges. From SkyDrive’s U.S. expansion to BVLOS healthcare access and Counter-UAS defense applications, this one-day event at Augusta Regional Airport covers the full spectrum of what’s next. Electric Air Mobility News was there — and will have many of the speakers on the podcast in the weeks ahead.
Japan’s leading eVTOL manufacturer just completed its first-ever public flights over Tokyo — testing everything from biometric check-in to compact rooftop vertiport operations. Now SkyDrive is bringing that momentum to Atlanta, where a major U.S. partnership announcement is set for March 9 at Verticon 2026. We’ve been watching SkyDrive for almost a decade.
The AAM “maturity phase” has arrived. Archer Aviation is taking Vertical Aerospace to court over alleged “mimicry” of the Midnight design in the new Valo aircraft. We break down the technical patents and the strategic divergence between these two industry leaders.
January 2026 delivered pivotal developments shaping advanced air mobility’s future. The FAA announced its largest reorganization in history, creating a dedicated Office of Advanced Aviation Technologies for eVTOLs, drones, and supersonic aircraft. Meanwhile, China’s low-altitude economy deployed 5.29 million operating aircraft with commercial eVTOL services already active. Ohio emerged as America’s AAM manufacturing hub with Joby’s second facility announcement, powered by strategic workforce investment. Drone delivery leader Zipline raised $600 million at a $7.6 billion valuation, surpassing 2 million deliveries while expanding to Houston and Phoenix. This comprehensive roundup explores regulatory maturation, geographic competition, and infrastructure investment driving AAM toward critical tipping points in 2026.