Charles Alcock
Managing Editor
Charles Alcock is a senior editor with AIN, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at Manchester University in the northwest of England and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.
Latest from Charles Alcock
Aircraft
Electric Power May Transform Regional Airline Business Models
Airline fleets could transition from a dependence on fossil fuels to meet climate change goals, but the move to electric aircraft could cut costs as well.
FutureFlight
Skyportz Teams with Microflite To Build Australian Advanced Air Mobility Sector
Australian helicopter operator Microflite intends to start operating new electric aircraft and also to back ground infrastructure specialist Skyportz in providing support for other air taxi and freight operators.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Skyportz Opens Crowdfunding Investment Offer to Build Ground Infrastructure Network
The company is backed by partners including Nexa Capital and Arup in its plans to develop vertiports for air taxi and drone delivery operations.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Electric Aviation Pioneers' Fortunes Rise and Fall on Updated SMG Reality Index
Joby now tops SMG Consulting's Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index, which the firm updates monthly based on its analysts' assessments of 20 companies' prospects for bringing new aircraft to market.
Aircraft
Bristow Orders 50 eSTOLs To Launch Air Services in 2026
Helicopter operator Bristow intends to buy up to 50 hybrid-electric STOL airplanes being developed by Electra Aero for air services starting in 2026.
FutureFlight
Hydrogen Advocates Say Theirs Is the Ultimate Path to Aviation's Zero-Carbon Future
Start-ups like Universal Hydrogen, HyPoint, and ZeroAvia are taking different approaches to converting aircraft to hydrogen propulsion, arguing they can get this solution to market quicker than new-build aircraft programs.
FutureFlight
Helicopter Group Bristow Shifts Business Model with Commitment for 50 eSTOL Aircraft
Declining revenues and margin from its core oil and gas sector have prompted the rotorcraft operator to shift into logistics operations using Electra's new eSTOL aircraft.
FutureFlight
EHang 2Q Results Dip as It Adjusts to eVTOL Aircraft Operations Business Model
The Chinese eVTOL aircraft developer says it is making progress in bringing its EH216 into commercial service, but costs continued to outstrip income during the second quarter of 2021.
FutureFlight
Honeywell and InfiniDome to Offer GPS Signal Protection For Urban Air Mobility Use
The companies are looking to help eVTOL aircraft and drone operators overcome the problem of GPS signals getting jammed by features such as tall buildings.
FutureFlight
UK Flight Trials Accelerate Ampaire's Plans To Convert Airliners to Hybrid-Electric Propulsion
Amapire says it will work with regional airlines to bring converted Twin Otter and Islander aircraft into commercial service by 2024.
FutureFlight
Archer Teams with Reef To Repurpose Parking Garage Rooftops as eVTOL Landing Sites
The partners say that thousands of inner-city parking garages are underutilized and can be readily converted into vertiports for eVTOL aircraft.
FutureFlight
HyPoint Teams with Helicopter Maker Piasecki To Market Hydrogen Fuel Cells
The companies will offer air-cooled hydrogen fuel cells to eVTOL aircraft developers, promising significant improvements in power performance.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Study Says Electric Aircraft May Need Subsidies to Be Cost Competitive
A study by Roland Berger and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre evaluates the business case for a hypothetical hybrid-electric 19-seat regional aircraft in real-world competition against existing airliners from Embraer, ATR, and Airbus.
FutureFlight
RED Aircraft Positions Its High-Performance Piston Engine for Hybrid-Electric Propulsion
The German company's 500-hp A03 is the most powerful piston aircraft certified to date and could act as a turbogenerator to power electric motors and recharge batteries.
FutureFlight
Eve Teams with Ascent To Market eVTOL Flights across Asia Pacific Region
Embraer subsidiary Eve Urban Air Mobility is expanding its partnership with flight booking platform Ascent, which is looking to develop a network of urban air mobility services across the Asia Pacific region.
FutureFlight
Jaunt Competes in U.S. Military High-Speed VTOL Challenge with New MAV55 Vehicle
Like its hybrid-electric civil VTOL design, the company's MAV55 Multi-Mission Air Vehicle uses a fixed wing and its slowed rotor compound technology.
FutureFlight
Indian Start-up Prepares To Unveil Hybrid-Electric eVTOL Aircraft
Vinata Aeromobility is raising funds to bring a two-seat vehicle to market by the end of 2023 and expects to unveil a scale model at London's Helitech show in October.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Lufthansa Research Shows How Advanced Air Mobility Startups Hogged Available Capital
So far in 2021, aviation companies drew as much as 65 percent of investments made in the wider travel and mobility tech sector, according to a report from the Lufthansa Innovation Hub.
FutureFlight
Electra Begins FAA Type Certification Process for eSTOL Aircraft
The company has recruited an experienced director of certification and is now working with the FAA's Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovations unit, as well as the agency's Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office.
FutureFlight
Samad Boosts Engineering and Commercial Teams for eStarling Program
The UK-based start-up has added six specialists to its team, which has moved into a larger headquarters as it works to bring the eStarling eVTOL and eSTOL models to market.
FutureFlight
Airflow Says Order Book for eSTOL Aircraft Has Tripled in Two Months
The California-based start-up now says it holds letters of intent from 11 prospective operators with a combined value of more than $600 million.
FutureFlight
Varon Selects Software Partner for Its Urban Air Mobility Network
Real-Time Innovations is to support Varon Vehicles' plans to develop UAM networks by providing its Connext data distribution software to connect vehicles and supporting infrastructure.
Regulations and Government
Soccer Star's Private Jet Transfer Flags Privacy Issues
Almost 120,000 soccer fans tracked Lionel Messi's Global 7500 flight with VistaJet from his former club Barcelona to his new job with Paris Saint-Germain.
FutureFlight
Dufour Reveals Updated Design for Aero3 Tiltwing eVTOL Aircraft
The new version of the Aero3 features six propellers on a tilting wing, plus two more installed on a new-look tail. Dufour is developing the aircraft in tandem with a smaller unmanned model called the Aero2.
Aircraft
Transcend Air Taps Kaman To Make High-speed VTOL
Transcend Air announced today that it has selected Kaman Aerospace Group to build its planned Vy 400 tiltwing, which is slated to enter service by 2025.
FutureFlight
Transcend Air Selects Kaman To Make Its High-speed Tiltwing
The helicopter specialist will manufacture Transcend's five-passenger turbine-powered Vy 400 at its plant in Florida to support efforts to bring it to market by 2025.
FutureFlight
Tetra Personal eVTOL Prototype Starts Test Flights As Customers Commit
The Japanese start-up unveiled its Mk 5 eVTOL aircraft at July's EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and has stayed in the U.S. for flight testing.
FutureFlight
Embraer Commits to Hydrogen Propulsion Trials, As Electric Flight Testing Begins
As part of its new commitment to environmental sustainability, the Brazilian airframer is increasing research and development investment in green technologies, and plans to fly a hydrogen technology demonstrator by 2025.
Airlines
JetBlue Launches A321LR Narrowbody Transatlantic Service
The launch of JetBlue's new transatlantic services between the U.S. and Britain has boosted hopes for recovery as Covid travel restrictions start to ease.
FutureFlight
Ampaire Starts UK Hybrid-electric Flight Trials in Scotland
The company's Electric EEL technology demonstrator flew from Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands to Wick on the Scottish mainland to demonstrate the potential for hybrid-electric aircraft to connect remote communities.
