Innovation on Air Delivery, Mobility: The Week in Aerospace

A new way to deliver food comes to the market and an aerospace giant announced an investment in a new mobility option. While these inventions arrive in Mexico, the industry works to increase demand to pre-pandemic levels.

Here is the Week in Aerospace!

ASA Network Reports Recovery in 2021

The Ministry of Communications and Transport (SCT) reported that the ASA Network registered a vital recovery on 15 of its 19 terminals during 2021, as the Mexican aviation industry continues to struggle to return to its pre-pandemic numbers.

“During 2021, the number of passengers served in the Network of Airports and Auxiliary Services (ASA Network) increased 54.1 percent compared to the 1.89 million users registered in 2020, achieving a total of 2.91 million users from Jan. to Dec. 2021. The growth in passenger service occurs in 15 of the 19 terminals that make up the ASA airport network,” reads a SCT press release.

SEGOB Implements New Measures to Regain Category 1 Airspace

Mexico’s federal government introduced several provisions to strengthen the regulatory framework for aviation safety and help the country’s airspace to recover its Category 1 status. These changes are part of the measures announced during 2021 to regain the lost rank.

The changes to the Civil Aviation Law include allowing the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC) to sanction operators who fail to comply with the terms related to air safety. Moreover, airlines will need to reinforce the training of their flight crew and flight attendants, which was one of the main points cited by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) when it downgraded Mexico’s airspace.

iFood Begins Drone Delivery Operations

Brazilian food delivery company iFood partnered with Speedbird Aero to become the first company in the Americas to use drones for food delivery. “This authorization, granted by ANAC (Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency) for daily commercial use, is unprecedented in the market and on the continent. With it, drones are free to carry out deliveries with loads of up to 2.5 kilograms within a radius of 3 kilometers, including in urban environments, maintaining safety margins established in the project,” reads iFood’s press release.

Boeing to Invests US$450 Million in Air Taxi Company

Wisk became one of the best-funded air taxi companies in the world after raising US$450 million from Boeing. This taxi company is an advanced air mobility business that developed the first all-electric autonomous air taxi in the US.

Wisk will operate one of the largest fleets of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the industry. Such a large fleet is possible thanks to the company's autonomous technology, competitive differentiator and industry-recognized scaling services.