Germany’s Volocopter last year hatched a plan with international airport operator Groupe ADP to ferry spectators around the 2024 Paris Olympic Games using its VoloCity air taxi, which would mark the aircraft’s commercial rollout. The firm even extended an invite to French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government approved the flights earlier this year, to be its first passenger.

But the company was unable to certify its two-seat design, built for a pilot plus one passenger, in time to fly people at the global event.

Another eVTOL manufacturer, China’s AutoFlight, also partnered with Groupe ADP last year to demonstrate its self-flying Prosperity air taxi at the Games but has yet to announce any test flights.

Still, it wasn’t a total wash for Volocopter. The firm managed to complete two test flights, one on Wednesday and another on Sunday.

The first took place at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’École (LFPZ), one of five sites where the partners are constructing vertiports to support commercial operations. These vertical takeoff and landing hubs, similar to heliports, are built with electric charging stations to support eVTOL aircraft.

Big Plans for Paris

Groupe ADP is developing additional vertiports at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG), Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LFPB), and Paris Heliport, as well as a special floating landing pad on the River Seine that Volocopter can use until the end of the year. These five locations will be linked by five eVTOL air taxi routes: three public transit routes and two round-trip tourism routes.

According to Volocopter, the vertiport at Saint-Cyr-l’École is the first bespoke commercial location within its approved Paris route network. Wednesday’s crewed test flight was conducted under a permit to fly awarded by France’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), kicking off an operational validation test campaign.

The company will need to demonstrate flight maneuvers around the vertiport, ground handling, communication with air traffic control, battery charging, and more. The campaign is the culmination of years of testing at Pontoise airfield, the site of Paris’ first inaugurated vertiport.

“For now, test flights are carried out without passengers, but once the aircraft is certified, we will test emergency medical flights with AP-HP (Ile-de-France University Hospital Centre),” said Edward Arkwright, deputy CEO of Groupe ADP. “Innovation in the field of aeronautics needs time to remove obstacles regarding safety, but we remain convinced that new carbon-free air mobilities around eVTOLs will offer helpful services that go way beyond the transportation of passengers.”

Volocopter followed that test flight with a second at the World Heritage Palace of Versailles on Sunday, soaring over the palace’s lush gardens during a demonstration attended by Groupe ADP and DGAC officials.

The venue hosted several 2024 Olympic events and was the site of the first hot-air balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783. Authorization for the flight was awarded on the final day of the Games by the Château de Versailles, City of Versailles, Yvelines Prefecture, and DGAC.

“The sustainable air mobility community is still at the start line, but today’s flight in this exceptional environment was the perfect closing ceremony to our summer, as we look forward to returning to Paris very soon,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter.

The company said it hopes to fly in central Paris later this year, with aspirations to launch passenger operations from its river barge vertiport on the Seine. A Groupe ADP official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the partners hope to fly passengers over the river by the time Notre Dame Cathedral, which burned down more than five years ago, is reopened in December.

Volocopter next year also expects to begin trials of an emergency medical service in Germany with partner ADAC Luftrettung, which last year agreed to purchase two custom-built VoloCity aircraft and could buy as many as 150.

Why Didn’t They Fly?

Beyond test flights, the firm’s primary goal is to obtain type certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the elusive approval that would have allowed it to fly passengers at the Olympics. So far, only one eVTOL manufacturer—China’s EHang—has received type certification from its country’s aviation regulator, though many others have begun the process.

Arkwright told AFP that Volocopter’s VoloCity suffered “a delay of a few weeks” in certification due to issues affecting the aircraft’s motor. The air taxi features 18 motors and rotors powered by electricity from nine lithium-ion battery packs, giving it a range of about 19 nm at a cruise speed approaching 60 knots.

Hoke said the issue traces back to “an American supplier who was not capable of providing what he had promised.”

Passenger flights at the Olympics also faced political barriers from local French officials, many of whom characterized the project as environmentally harmful and air taxis as a service for the wealthy. In response, Volocopter and Groupe ADP have altered their tone by touting other use cases, such as emergency response.

Paris’ city hall even took legal action against the proposal, but according to AFP, French administrative officials ruled against it “pending a decision on the merits of the case, expected in the autumn.”

Though Volocopter failed to meet its goal, the company will have another chance to showcase its aircraft on the world stage at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. By then, the FAA expects to have laid the groundwork for commercial air taxi routes to be flown routinely.

Manufacturer Archer Aviation earlier this month expressed its desire to be flying in the city by the time the Games begin, while competitors Joby Aviation and Wisk Aero, the eVTOL subsidiary of Boeing, plan to operate there as well. Wisk further intends to demonstrate its self-flying design at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.

The companies’ objective is to boost public acceptance of the novel aircraft, which they claim will be far quieter and more sustainable than helicopters. Some have already managed to convince major U.S. airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines, to make investments or commitments to the technology.

Among American manufacturers, Archer and Joby are the closest to receiving type certification. Both companies hope to begin flying passengers next year.

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The aviation industry data intelligence company reported that in week 30—July 22-28—bizjet activity in France was up 17 percent compared to the same time last year. Europe has seen a 4 percent increase overall. Paris saw a 58 percent jump in bizjet arrivals compared to last year. 

“As predicted, the Olympics venues have attracted business jet arrivals from all over the world as dignitaries, heads of corporations, and celebrities flocked to the opening ceremony and sporting events,” said WingX managing director Richard Koe in the announcement. “The Olympics appear to be very popular with U.S. visitors, many coming via the UK. The Olympics bounce is helping the market recover from a relatively weak H124, with year-to-date trends now flat compared to last year.”

• READ MORE: Canada’s Olympic Soccer Team Busted After Spying on Rivals With Drone 

Paris Le Bourget recorded 713 bizjet arrivals last week, up 53 percent over last year. New York saw a 200 percent increase in bizjet flights to Paris airports year over year. Vista Jet and NetJets lead flights from the United States to France, WingX found. 

On July 26, the day of the Olympics opening ceremony, 382 bizjet arrivals were recorded into French airports.

North America 

Florida, California, and Texas had the most bizjet departures in the U.S. Florida and California were each up 2 percent over last year, and Texas was up 1 percent. 

Bizjet departures were on par in week 30 compared to the same period last year in North America, with most activity originating in the U.S. 

Europe 

The United Kingdom saw a 10 percent increase in bizjet flights. 

Activity lags behind in popular European summer destinations. Bizjets to Mykonos, Greece, have fallen compared to five years ago, only ahead of 2020. Olbia, Italy, has been busier than any July in the last five years, while Ibiza and Mallorca, Spain, are behind the last three years.

Rest of World 

Bizjet activity declined outside of North America and Europe. Activity fell 16 percent in the Middle East in week 30 compared to last year, with notable declines in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Africa saw a 23 percent drop in bizjet activity, with declines in South Africa cities Johannesburg and Cape Town, and Lagos, Nigeria. 

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The Canadian Olympic Committee is appealing a decision by the FIFA Appeal Committee to dock the team six points in the Paris Olympic Games soccer competition’s group stage—effectively dashing the team’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage—over allegations of filming the practices of its first opponent, New Zealand.

The scandal has several layers, with various reports alleging Canada has used drones to spy on other teams’ practices for years, including the U.S. men’s and women’s teams. Multiple Canada Soccer staffers, including women’s head coach Bev Priestman, have either stepped aside or been suspended for the remainder of the Olympic Games.

Carla Qualtrough, Canada’s minister of sport and physical activity, even released a statement on the incident, calling it “deeply regrettable.”

Here’s everything you need to know:

Eyes in the Sky

On July 23, the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) in a statement said a drone was flown over the team’s training grounds in Saint Etienne, France.

French police identified the drone operator as Joseph Lombardi, a support staff member for the Canadian women’s team. After admitting to spying, Lombardi was sentenced to 18 months in prison by a French prosecutor’s office on Wednesday.

While spying on another team’s practice wouldn’t win the match for Canada, it could provide coaches with inside information on tactics, such as during highly strategized free kick situations.

“The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024,” the NZOC said in its statement.

Also on July 24, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said it had learned of a second drone spying incident at another New Zealand practice, leading it to suspend Lombardi and an assistant coach.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee stands for fair play, and we are shocked and disappointed,” the COC said. “We offer our heartfelt apologies to New Zealand Football, to all the players affected, and to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.”

In addition, Priestman, who led the Canada squad to a gold medal match win over Sweden at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, decided to step aside from coaching the team’s opening game—a 2-1 win over New Zealand on Thursday—amid the opening of an investigation by FIFA.

“I am absolutely heartbroken for the players, and I would like to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the impact this situation has had on all of them,” Priestman said in a statement. “I know how hard they have worked following a very difficult year in 2023, and that they are a group of people who care very much about sportsmanship and integrity. As the leader of the team on the field, I want to take accountability, and I plan to fully cooperate with the investigation.”

Down the Rabbit Hole

On Friday, Priestman was suspended for the remainder of the 2024 Olympics by Canada Soccer, which said that the scandal runs much deeper.

Kevin Blue, CEO and general secretary of the organization, said Canadian teams have been using drones to spy on opponents even before Paris.

“Over the past 24 hours, additional information has come to our attention regarding previous  drone use against opponents, predating the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” Blue said in a statement.

Sources told Canada’s TSN, which is partially owned by ESPN, that Canada Soccer staffers used drones to spy on other teams’ closed-door practices even during the team’s gold medal-winning Tokyo Olympics run. The sources also allege drones were used to film Panama and Honduras women’s team practices after those Games.

One source told TSN that staffers were told they could lose their jobs if they did not comply with requests to film other practices. In one case, a contractor, who was scheduled to fly to Australia for the 2023 World Cup, had their trip canceled because they refused a demand to record opponents. A Canada Soccer staffer flew in their stead to capture the video, the source alleges.

TSN also said it reviewed text messages from a women’s soccer coach about secretly filming opponents from Costa Rica, South Korea, and Trinidad and Tobago in 2022.

An ESPN report on Saturday added to the scandal, with sources connected to U.S. Soccer telling the outlet that Canada’s drone-spying incident is not an outlier. The sources recounted several incidents of alleged spying on both the U.S. women’s and men’s soccer teams as recently as the 2024 Copa América tournament, as well as on other countries’ squads.

Another ESPN report alleges that the scandal goes all the way to the top, with Priestman and another coach having been aware of Canada Soccer’s covert use of drones for years, either before or after the fact.

It is possible, if unlikely, that the Canadian team’s gold medal in Tokyo could be revoked following FIFA’s investigation, according to COC CEO David Shoemaker.

Keeping Drones Out of Sports

The sporting world more widely has faced its fair share of drone-related woes as the buzzing aircraft begin to proliferate.

The NFL, for example, is contending with thousands of unauthorized drone flights over games and practices every season, to the point where the FAA has been forced to step in. The NFL, MLB, NCAA, and NASCAR have all backed a congressional bill that would grant government and law enforcement officials more power to jam or take down rogue aircraft.

A potentially bigger issue, though, is preventing those flights from happening in the first place. Stakeholders have struggled to find an answer despite the FAA creating temporary flight restrictions around games and practices for most major U.S. sports leagues.

Regulations, such as the FAA’s remote ID rule, will help federal and regional agencies keep an eye on the drones with digital license plates. But at present there is little recourse to actually prevent a drone from flying into stadium airspace.

The issue is one the U.S.—and Canada, evidently—will need to address as more drones take to the skies.

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The German firm on Wednesday announced it will work with Groupe ADP, which manages 23 airports around the world, including Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG) and Le Bourget Airport (LFPB), to prepare eVTOL infrastructure in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Separately, at the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K., Lilium on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with SEA Milan, which operates the Italian city’s airports, and vertiport developer Skyports Infrastructure to build a Lilium Jet network in Italy’s Lombardy region.

These regions are envisioned as early launch markets for the Lilium Jet, a zero-emission, six-passenger design capable of cruising at 162 knots on city-to-city trips spanning 25-125 sm (22-109 nm).

Groupe ADP, working with fellow German eVTOL manufacturer Volocopter, is developing an air taxi network connecting five vertiports across the Paris region, including at Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget.

The original plan was for air taxi public transport and tourism routes to be ready for the 2024 Olympic Games, which open Friday in Paris, though that appears to be out the window. The French government signed off on heavily restricted, nonpassenger carrying flights, but Paris’ city council said it will fight the authorization in court.

Although it looks like the Paris Olympics won’t quite be the eVTOL launchpad for which Groupe ADP had hoped, it could make history by bringing the Lilium Jet to the region. With a projected commercial launch in 2026, the jet—which takes off like a helicopter but cruises on fixed wings—will likely be the first of its kind to hit the market.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that some of the very first eVTOL flights will happen in France, and this partnership brings that milestone closer into view,” said Sebastian Borel, chief commercial officer of Lilium. “Groupe ADP has an impressive portfolio of airports, both in France and around the world, in markets that will be key to Lilium’s commercial operations.”

Earlier this year, Lilium said it was in “advanced talks” with the French government to install manufacturing facilities in the country. It is also collaborating with Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur and vertiport developer UrbanV to create a network in the French Riviera.

Groupe ADP will now work to accommodate the six-passenger design, which is significantly larger than Volocopter’s air taxi, at vertiports throughout Paris.

“We are thrilled to officialize the work we have been conducting with Lilium to ensure the development of new services by eVTOL in the Paris region and worldwide,” said Edward Arkwright, deputy CEO of Groupe ADP.

The partnership will also extend to Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia, where Lilium is planning another network with flag carrier Saudia. The airline this month agreed to purchase 100 Lilium Jets. On Monday at Farnborough, the manufacturer said it signed an MOU with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to prepare eVTOL regulations in the country.

Italy is set to be another important market for Lilium as the company partners with SEA Milan and Skyports to serve the Lombardy region, home to an estimated one-fifth of the country’s population. The manufacturer, airport operator, and infrastructure specialist hope to bring a network online by 2027.

“We’ve been working with our partners at SEA for some time, and we’re excited to prepare to open the doors of our vertiports and see eVTOL aircraft take flight over Lombardy,” said Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports.

SEA will manage airport hubs and will operate vertiports jointly with Skyports, which will lead the development and construction of the sites. An initial route will connect Milan Malpensa Airport (LIMC) with the Milan city center.

In 2022, Lilium secured an order for 12 jets from operator Globe Air, which plans to fly them in the French Riviera and Italy—it’s unclear whether these aircraft will be part of the planned network.

The German manufacturer also has plans for the U.S. With newly established operating partner UrbanLink Air Mobility, it intends to fly in Florida, California, and the Caribbean U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

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The German manufacturer announced it will build a vertiport network for the zero-emissions aircraft in the French Riviera, connecting Monaco, Marseille, Nice, Cannes, Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence, and Sophia Antipolis. It aims to launch flights in 2026.

Lilium signed a partnership with Italian vertiport network operator and Airbus partner UrbanV as well as Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur (ACA), which manages Cannes Mandelieu Airport (LMFD), Golfe de Saint-Tropez Airport (LFTZ), and Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (LMFN): the country’s second-largest airport, transporting an estimated 14 million passengers annually. UrbanV is a subsidiary of Aeroporti di Roma, SAVE Group, Aeroporto di Bologna, and ACA, which has committed to achieve carbon neutrality without offsetting its own emissions by 2030.

Lilium’s French Riviera ecosystem will include vertiports at these locations and others under consideration. It is in discussions with local partners to construct additional takeoff and landing sites in Sophia Antipolis, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille, with the expectation that those agreements will be finalized by year’s end.

“Our territory offers a unique opportunity to fly over the sea to directly connect the main economic, cultural or tourist destinations,” said Franck Goldnadel, chairman of the board of ACA. “A complementary alternative to the helicopter, the eVTOL has its place in the air transport offered from Nice Côte d’Azur.”

Lilium’s flagship jet, combined with electric ground infrastructure from UrbanV, should help remove some emissions from France’s premium and business aviation segments.

Unveiled to the public for the first time last week at the European Aviation Business Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, the aircraft is designed to cruise at 162 knots on city-to-city trips spanning 25-125 sm (22-109 nm). Thirty-six electric ducted fans embedded in the aircraft’s fixed wings provide vertical propulsion and are shielded by flaps during forward flight.

Lilium on Tuesday said it is in talks with several operators interested in purchasing and operating the Lilium Jet in the French Riviera, which accommodates millions of tourists every year. Already, it has an agreement with Austrian private jet operator GlobeAir for the intended purchase and operation of 12 aircraft in the South of France and Italy.

“As a truly European company based in Munich, Germany, with flight testing in Spain and with nascent roots in France, Lilium is extremely proud to be able to assist in the creation of the first regional eVTOL network in the South of France and the first commercially viable network in the E.U.,” said Sebastien Borel, chief commercial officer of Lilium. “We see an enormous potential in this region and cannot wait to see our Lilium Jet fly there soon.”

The multifaceted partnership comes after Lilium entered “advanced” talks with the French government to add a high-volume aircraft production facility in the country. The company is considering several locations and expects to invest up to 400 million euros (about $432 million) into the site over several years. In addition, it already sources aircraft components from French suppliers Saint-Gobain Aerospace, Michelin, and Expliseat.

Lilium in December began building the first of seven production prototype Lilium Jets at its final assembly line in Wessling, Germany. Both it and the French facility are intended to supply fleets globally.

In the U.S., the manufacturer is working alongside newly formed operator UrbanLink Air Mobility, Orlando International Airport (KMCO), and other stakeholders to build an initial eVTOL network in South Florida. It is collaborating with FBO network Atlantic Aviation to electrify more than 100 Atlantic terminals nationwide.

Lilium also hopes to introduce its flagship aircraft in China, the Philippines, the Middle East, South America, and across Europe, the latter in partnership with Lufthansa.

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The German manufacturer says it is in “advanced discussions” with the French government to add a high-volume aircraft production facility in France, citing it as an attractive market for its flagship Lilium Jet. The company plans for the aircraft to enter service in 2026.

Lilium says it is evaluating several sites for a manufacturing hub in the country, including in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, which it describes as a “hotbed” for aerospace and battery production. The company estimates it will invest up to 400 million euros (about $432 million) into the site over several years, creating as many as 850 jobs.

Discussions on site selection—as well as potential French government subsidies and loan guarantees for the project—were announced Monday at the Choose France Summit in Versailles and are expected to conclude “in the coming weeks,” per Lilium.

The manufacturer says it picked France because of the country’s “well-established aerospace industry, expertise in electric mobility, highly skilled workforce, and supportive government environment.” It added in a post on social media platform X that it is already sourcing Lilium Jet components from French aerospace suppliers Saint-Gobain Aerospace, Michelin, and Expliseat.

Lilium in December began production of the first Lilium Jet prototypes at its final assembly line in Wessling, Germany. However, the company intends for the aircraft to be operated worldwide, including in the French Riviera in partnership with private jet operator GlobeAir.

Adding a manufacturing hub in France positions those operations closer to the company’s service areas, which could simplify its supply chain, for example. However, it says its French facilities are intended to serve the global market.

Lilium on Monday said it has more than 780 binding orders and memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreements from operators for its flagship aircraft, which it will debut publicly at the European Aviation Business Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva later this month.

The company’s most recent agreement includes 20 firm aircraft orders and options apiece from U.S. operator UrbanLink Air Mobility, which intends to fly the aircraft out of Lilium vertiports in South Florida.

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Groupe Dassault consists of several enterprises beyond Dassault Aviation, including Dassault Systèmes, Le Figaro (media and services), Immobilière Dassault (real estate), Dassault Wine Estates (including Saint-Émilion, France-based Château Dassault), and Artcurial (auction house).

Edelstenne rose to lead the French conglomerate on May 28, 2018, following the death of Serge Dassault. Trappier comes into the position having longtime experience with the company. He served as executive vice president, international directorate, leading the company’s successful bid to sell the Mirage 2000-9 fighter to the United Arab Emirates in 1998, as well as the selection of the Rafale fighter following India’s Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft RFP in 2012.

Trappier graduated from Telecom SudParis academy for engineers and then served in the French Navy as an officer. He joined Dassault Aviation in 1984 as a systems engineer in the business unit’s design department. Currently, he also serves as chairman of Dassault Falcon Jet, and he’s a member of the French Légion d’Honneur and Knight of the Ordre National du Mérite.

Dassault Aviation certified the Falcon 6X in 2023 under Trappier’s leadership and continues development of the Falcon 10X with certification anticipated in 2025.

The post Trappier to Lead Dassault Corporate in 2025 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Elephant walk” is a U.S. Air Force term that dates back to World War II and refers to aircraft taxiing en masse in a single line and close formation as a method of demonstrating air power. 

Aircraft from the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), French Air and Space Force, and Republic of Korea Air Force were represented in Monday’s event marking the launch of the “Cope North 2024″ quarterly bilateral exercise. 

• READ MORE: B-52 Bombers Deploy as Part of Indo-Pacific ‘Strategic Deterrence Mission’ 

“Being able to direct and oversee this amazing showing of interoperability from Andersen AFB has filled me with awe,” Senior Airman Robert Rennie, an air traffic controller assigned to the 36th Operations Support Squadron, said in a statement. “The sheer amount of aircraft and the way our allies and partners operate together with us is inspiring.”

Cope North exercises, originally established in 1978, represent the U.S. Pacific Air Forces’ largest multilateral exercise. This year, an estimated 1,700 U.S. airmen, Marines, and sailors are expected to participate, as well as 700 service members from coalition air forces. According to the U.S. Air Force, 85 aircraft are scheduled to fly 1,400 missions across three islands and six airfields.

“Throughout the exercise we aim to aggressively practice combat air forces and mobility air forces dispersal activities in concert with all six participating nations,” said Lieutenant Colonel David Overstreet, Cope North lead planner.

The post Cope North Elephant Walk Showcases Multinational Coalition Air Power appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Daher’s position demonstrates well the state of the global aerospace market.

“We are in a paradox situation—some are happy; some are not happy,” said Patrick Daher, board chair for the Daher group, in kicking off the company’s performance review for 2023 in Paris on February 7. “We are feeling the impact of the international situation, and then we are still recovering from COVID, but the COVID crisis is over for us…But some international threats—for example the war in Ukraine and the Middle East, the future elections, the situation in China—all these events have created a political instability that is really worrying for the future.”

Yet industry events such as the 2023 Paris Air Show indicate where the future lies—with caution as to the expense of making change. “As chairman [of] the Salon de Bourget in 2023 and chairman of Daher…I have the chance to see that energy transition is coming with a really high price,” said Daher. “Speaking about industry, we have really good news in terms of an increase in production.”

In 2023, Daher recorded strong deliveries of both its TBM and Kodiak series turboprops, with a total of 56 TBMs and 18 Kodiaks, for a total of 76 units. In addition, it counts more than 100 turboprops in its order book, taking it well into 2025.

READ MORE: Daher Delivers 100th TBM 960

An Industry Overview

At the same time, major Daher client and partner Airbus has never manufactured so many aircraft—a record number went out the door in December, as Daher noted in the report. That is in spite of the constant pressures brought on by inflation, provisioning difficulties, recruitment challenges, rise in wages, and lowering margins. Collectively these have led to soft pricing models that have persisted through the past couple of years.

“We have forgotten how to deal with such problems of inflation that we experienced 20 years ago,” said Daher. “It was really hard to find raw materials, and this was linked to geopolitical problems, [such] as the war in Ukraine. We were missing material. This lack of raw materials is linked to the mismanagement of the supply chain—the suppliers failed to ship what we needed to manufacture our aircraft—and to produce what our clients asked us to do.”

Another problem Daher noted has been the lack of employee candidates. “It is not easy to recruit the right profiles…The COVID crisis changed behaviors in terms of wages and employees, so it is really hard for us to hire and find talents.” This has driven companies like Daher to invest heavily in training—because like never before they have had to recruit from outside the aviation industry.

“All these factors in 2023—after COVID, we were expecting 2021 and 2022 to be difficult—but these problems arrived in 2023,” Daher said. “All of these factors resulted in our weakened profitability. We need to consider the energy transition and the decrease in carbon intensity…2023 highlighted the emergency but also the [convergence], vis-à-vis the problem of decarbonization.”

The Daher group considers government support crucial—specifically CORAC, the French council for civil aviation research—and 300 million euros per year have been earmarked by CORAC to help fund the energy transition. “Aviation industry, all research efforts, have converged, because in the past each company focused on a specific research field, but right now there is a really clear target: low-carbon, low-emission aircraft,” Daher said.

Eco-Pulse Update

For the French OEM, the convergence flies today via its hybrid-electric Eco-Pulse technology demonstrator, which uses a TBM airframe, electric motors and powertrain components form Saran, and electric power storage by Airbus in a distributed lift model (simply put) to test various components and how they interact in actual flight operations. The Eco-Pulse retains a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop engine, but in December made its first flight segments completely powered by the six electric motors.

“It is a major step towards decarbonization,” said Daher. “Because high voltage electricity can be a good solution…we are continuing with some hybrid tests. This is the first step…People thought I was crazy [last year] when I spoke about this target [to have a marketable product by 2027], but we are headed in that direction.” It will be a TBM or Kodiak because those are the models Daher has in its portfolio, but the company has yet to determine which will be chosen and exactly what that will look like.

FLYING asked if the OEM could share any feedback—including any performance data, if possible—from those first flights. Christophe Robin, vice president of engineering for Daher’s aircraft division, provided this insight: “EcoPulse is a technology demonstrator, therefore, aircraft performance is not the goal. The EcoPulse configuration has been chosen with the strategy of increasing the level of complexity in hybridization to develop a ‘maturity picture’ for all of the technologies involved—including examining side effects such as weight penalties, as well as issues induced by HIRF (high-intensity radiated field) and lightning.”

READ MORE: We Fly: Daher TBM 960

Log’in, Shap’in, Fly’in

To support innovation efforts, Daher launched its second tech center, Log’in, in Toulouse, also geared toward decarbonization. “Out of 7 million tonnes [of carbon emissions] we realized that a big quantity is related to our clients, and we want to work on these figures [as well] in order to work on decarbonization,” said Daher.

Fly’in will be the third tech center Daher launches, in Tarbes, focused on aircraft development, “stepping up” in both technology and the drive towards net-zero emissions.

FLYING also asked Daher to expand on the current projects that have already been realized from the new technology centers and Eco-Pulse. Robin shared a portion of what the group has learned thus far, and what it expects to benefit from. 

“In addition to the aspects of EcoPulse that are linked to aircraft hybridization, another important focus is demonstrating the application of advanced composites on aircraft,” said Robin. “Under the guidance of Daher’s research and technology teams, EcoPulse is using composites for the aircraft’s winglets, engine pylons, Karman and battery fairings, as well as the air inlet—which were produced primarily with an infusion-based carbon/cork micro-sandwich. A goal of EcoPulse is to make it possible to evolve the performance and feasibility of integrating these technologies on secondary parts/components of Daher-built aircraft, while developing rapid prototyping skills used within the aviation framework.”

This is complementary to other developments underway at Daher—including projects in cooperation with partners such as CORAC (the French Council for Civil Aeronautical Research).

Pascal Laguerre, chief technology officer for Daher, provided significant insight beyond the Eco-Pulse demonstrator. “Taking a wider view for activities outside the framework of EcoPulse, Daher devotes a significant part of its overall R&D budget to thermoplastics,” said Laguerre. “This material is particularly promising in the world of aerostructures for future applications on production aircraft. It lends itself more easily to the automation of production (issue of throughput), and it is recyclable, repairable and weldable. Its mechanical properties make it possible to use less material and, overall, make structures lighter—all of which are key qualities with a view toward reducing carbon emissions. This is focused on accelerating the development of real applications in the future for the benefit of its customers, including [several more widely focused] projects.”

For example, as part of CORAC, Daher leads the largest French research project on thermoplastics in current execution, called TRAMPOLINE 2 (TheRmoplAstic coMPosites for hOrizontaL tail plaNE), as well as utilizing induction welding instead of riveting—with a weight savings of 15 percent.

Also, the investment has already borne fruit in components that will be found on the company’s current TBM product lines.

“After more than three years of R&D work, Daher succeeded in manufacturing rudder pedals in recycled high-performance thermoplastic composites from production scraps to equip the TBM, which have been certified for flight on production TBMs,” said Laguerre. “In addition to being lightweight, thermoplastics have low thermal conduction, as well as equal or better physicochemical and mechanical properties: It’s a win-win for Daher customers. And beyond the environmental benefits, the cost of these parts is significantly reduced compared to metal machining.

“In addition, Daher has obtained the first results of an R&D project called CARAC TP, carried out in collaboration with a set of academic laboratories competent in composite materials. The objective [is] to identify and characterize the thermoplastic composites best suited to aeronautical applications and compare them to thermoset materials. The project makes it possible to study materials in depth through multiple tests that go beyond the scope of qualification programs carried out in the industry: impact resistance, fire resistance, environmental aging (ozone, UV, fluids), impact of manufacturing processes on physicochemical properties, material performance, etc.”

Daher looks also outside its walls to new small businesses to help drive this innovation charge. Encouragingly, more than 300 aerospace-relevant startups took part in the Paris Air Show.

“We had 25 of these startups at the Daher stand at Le Bourget,” said Daher, noting that the company looks forward to engaging with these innovators, perhaps through acquisition or collaboration, on various projects.

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The Takeoff 2027 Strategy

Daher reported a strengthening bottom line but noted there is room for improvement. At the press conference, Daher CEO Didier Kayat indicated the belief that Daher would become profitable based on its strategic realignment to better serve four sectors: aircraft, industry, industrial services, and logistics. The company also plans a transformation of the organizational structure by 2025, to help align and draw down any existing silos between the business functions.

To this end, Daher made a quartet of additions to its executive committee in the later part of 2023. On October 1, Alain-Jory Barthe joined Daher’s Industry division as senior vice president. Then, on January 1, Cédric Eloy became the head of the Industrial Services division as senior vice president of manufacturing services, and Julie de Cevins became the group’s chief sustainability officer—a key appointment, given the group’s charge to attain net-zero goals by 2050. Finally, on February 1, Aymeric Daher became senior vice president of the Logistics division.

Daher is adapting its organization to support the four business units, with the following actions:

• To create a managerial culture that is based in what it calls the “Daher Leadership Model”—effectively empowering a cadre of 1,500 leaders within the company to act with an entrepreneurial spirit
• To anticipate challenges and innovate toward decarbonisation solutions, with Eco-Pulse among other projects
• To support the acquisitions needed for growth across the four sectors.

Acquisitions have already borne fruit for the company, including the Stuart, Florida, facility.

“The acquisition of AAA strengthened the Industrial Services division, for example,” Daher said. “We are now the leader of industrial services…We can support aircraft manufacturers in peak periods.”

If Daher can make its way through the concurrent challenges of acquisition-driven growth, corporate restructuring, price pressures, and order fulfillment, its plan for the years ahead puts it on track to form part of the global solution to decarbonization—as well as providing the aircraft the customer demands for the future.

The post Daher’s Decarbonization Plans Drive Towards Hybrid-Electric Aircraft, Composites appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Survey Copter—an Airbus subsidiary— signed a firm order with the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) for 15 onboard systems (30 aircraft) of Aliaca fixed-wing electric UAS, plus associated training and integrated logistics support for the French Navy, the company announced Monday. The company said deliveries of the systems will begin this year and “will be used to equip new ships and ship types, and to enhance their onboard capabilities.”

• READ MORE: Airbus Helicopters Looks to Expand UAS Portfolio with Acquisition

The request builds upon a 2020 order of 11 systems and 22 aircraft that have been called the French Navy’s “remote field glasses” due to their ability to provide airborne surveillance, detection, and identification capabilities for high seas patrol boats and surveillance frigates, according to the company.

“We are very honored to participate in the French government’s action at sea and to continue supporting the French Navy in its many missions,” said Christophe Canguilhem, CEO of Survey Copter, in a statement. “This additional order confirms the relationship of trust we have with the DGA and the French Navy, and the quality, efficiency, and reliability of our drones systems at sea.” 

• READ MORE: Airbus U.S. Space and Defense Adds New Line of Business in Drones

The order is the latest for Airbus, which late last year announced it was launching a business line dedicated to military drones. In January, Airbus also announced its intent to acquire Aerovel, the manufacturer of the Flexrotor tactical drone. 

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