In this episode we are joined by Charles Acknin, CEO and co-founder, and Isaac Roberts, chief strategy officer, of Skyways.

Since 2017, Skyways has been developing and building long-range, autonomous cargo drones capable of beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations for both the civil and defence markets. So far it has raised $25m across multiple funding rounds.

We discuss Skyways' launch, born out of traffic-induced frustration, the pivot from all-electric to hybrid-electric for significantly greater range and endurance, key military contracts that provided early experience of operating BVLOS, expansion beyond core logistics and much more besides.

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In this episode we take a look inside the eVTOL development process in China with the CEO and co-founder of TCAB Yon Wui Ng.

Formerly of Geely Terrafugia and Airbus China, Yon founded TCAB alongside a group of fellow engineers in 2021. In less than five years the company has built a full-scale prototype, completed transition testing and is undergoing type certification with the Chinese civil aviation regulator.

The discussion touches on TCAB's pragmatic strategy to build an affordable tilt-rotor aircraft cheaper than a helicopter, their focus on horizontal integration and the significant advantages of China's EV supply chain and manufacturing power.

We cover hurdles like evolving type certification standards and battery technology, with Yon advocating for simplicity. As well as TCAB's geopolitical export strategy to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Yon also offers a vision for eVTOL infrastructure, repurposing bus stations and helipads as "bus stop" vertiports. Plus much more.

In this episode we are joined by Emerson Xu, CEO and co-founder and Sandra Steinhoff, head of events and partnerships at NexAvian.

NexAvian is leading efforts in urban air mobility and advanced aerial logistics solutions across Asia. The firm offers services to support the development, market entry and operational sustainability of AAM, drawing from real-world industry experience and deep regional insight.

Part of this effort involves hosting the inaugural APAC AAM summit alongside the Singapore Airshow next week. The summit will convene global OEM leaders, regulators, operators, investors and infrastructure players for a one day conversation covering everything from certification timelines to cross-border operations and much more.

We discuss the summit, the vision behind NexAvian and the future of AAM/low altitude economy in Asia more broadly.