A new €5.6 million grant from the French government through BPI France, the organization that supports France’s economic growth by aiding its entrepreneurs, has bolstered VoltAero’s funding for the development of its Cassio 330 electric-hybrid aircraft.

The funding was made available through the “France 2030” investment plan, which was formed by the French government with the aim of sustainably modernizing important areas of the nation’s economy, including aviation.

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The Cassio 330 is the first of three electric-hybrid aircraft models from VoltAero that have a lot in common and are highly flexible. The family’s design is based on the sleek, aerodynamically-optimized aircraft from VoltAero’s clean-sheet configuration.

The Cassio family will be a highly skilled and dependable product line for local commercial operators, air taxi/charter firms, individual owners, as well as utility-category service for cargo, mail delivery and medical evacuation (Medevac) applications.

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Cassio will perform orders of magnitude better than the competition by incorporating VoltAero’s proprietary electric-hybrid propulsion system into the specially designed aircraft, and it will have much lower operating expenses.

The Cassio 330, an electric-hybrid vehicle with five seats and a 330-kilowatt propulsion system, will be the first version to enter service. The six-seat Cassio 480 from VoltAero will have an electric-hybrid propulsion power of 480 kilowatts, while the 12-seat Cassio 600 has a propulsion power of 600 kilowatts.

A historic multi-year agreement for AMOS, Swiss-AS’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) software, was signed today by Swiss Aviation Software and Volocopter. AMOS will be used to oversee the whole fleet of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft owned by Volocopter.

An interface to Volocopter’s proprietary digital operating system, the VoloIQ, will be provided by seamless software integration, which will also provide monitoring and analysis of aircraft reliability. A significant milestone as Volocopter gets ready to enter service in 2024 is that Swiss-AS is now working together in an urban air mobility (UAM) setting for the first time.

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The VoloCity, a 2-seater electric air taxi designed for city use, will receive type certification in 2024 from Volocopter, the UAM sector’s pioneer. The business will be the first to introduce commercial services in Europe that follow to the same strict safety requirements as commercial aircraft.

A strong UAM ecosystem is necessary in addition to product certification for a successful industry launch and future operations scale-up. Additionally, in order to make the most of available vertiport and airport space and offer effective customer service, eVTOL fleets in major international locations will need to have quick turnaround times.

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AMOS excels at managing vehicle configuration traceability throughout its life cycle, a critical aspect of proper aircraft fleet maintenance. Further, such aspects include component design/purchase dates, installation/replacement dates, and total operating hours. AMOS will also monitor ground handling operations, deploy the relevant tools, and manage ground staff assignments.

Air travel can be unpredictable, especially when it comes to weather. Turbulent conditions can lead to delays, cancellations, and even dangerous situations for passengers and crew. However, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are helping air travelers navigate erratic weather and make informed decisions.

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The ability to predict the weather is one way AI is assisting aviators. Massive volumes of data from different sources, such as satellites, weather balloons, and ground-based sensors, can be analyzed using AI-powered weather forecasting. When combined with other data, these models can more precisely predict weather patterns than those produced using conventional techniques.

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Providing real-time updates and alerts is another way AI is assisting fliers. AI-powered technologies are being used by airports and airlines to track the weather and inform travelers in a timely manner. A flight delay caused by bad weather, for instance, can be announced to passengers via an alert sent to their smartphones by an airline.

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Additionally, route optimization and flight planning are being enhanced by AI. AI-powered algorithms can be used by airlines to analyze weather patterns and modify flight trajectories as necessary. This makes for a smoother and safer flight for passengers by assisting pilots in avoiding turbulence and other weather-related hazards.

AI can also assist airlines in better managing their fleets during disruptions caused by the weather. In order to reduce the impact of weather-related delays and cancellations on customers, airlines are able to use AI-powered systems to reroute planes and optimize their schedules in real-time.

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AI is extremely crucial in assisting flight travelers to navigate unpredictable weather. AI is helping airlines and airports make more informed decisions and improve the customer experience with everything from weather prediction to real-time updates and notifications, flight planning, and route optimization.