Two Joby air taxis (N541JX and N544JX) flying simultaneously in the skies over Marina, CA.
SwissDrones Expands in the U.S. With New Customer, Southern Company
SwissDrones, a provider of advanced aerial intelligence solutions and long-range unmanned helicopter systems, recently announced its first hardware contract with leading U.S.- based energy company, Southern Company. This sale further accelerates SwissDrones’ expansion into North America.
SwissDrones’ SDO 50 is a state-of-the-art unmanned helicopter and one of the first unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the category beyond 55 pounds to be approved in over 30 countries to fly long-range beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions. Its vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability along with heavy payload capacity offers a highly cost-effective alternative to a manned aircraft. It’s also a more sustainable solution, reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 95%.
“Energy companies are dealing with a host of difficult circumstances when it comes to maintaining their critical infrastructure,” says Ulrich Amberg, CEO of SwissDrones. “From an increase in extreme weather events to cumbersome inspection practices, companies need new, innovative solutions. Teaming up with Southern Company will enable more efficient aerial surveillance and inspection to navigate those challenges.”
Committed to using advanced technologies to deliver clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy, Southern Company will deploy multiple aircraft to modernize maintenance protocol, enable efficient infrastructure monitoring, and conduct swift storm damage assessment.
“Partnering with SwissDrones empowers us to bring innovation to aerial inspection and infrastructure maintenance,” said Dean Barefield, UAS program manager at Southern Company. “As our first deployment of a large unmanned aerial system (UAS), the SDO 50 will expand our operational reach, allowing us to cover greater distances across our power lines in the Southeast and across our natural gas infrastructure throughout our broader service territory. This technology enhances our ability to gather high-quality data for both electric and gas operations, ultimately helping us better serve all of our customers.”
This collaboration signifies SwissDrones’ expansion into North America and reflects a broader industry trend toward adopting advanced uncrewed systems for critical infrastructure monitoring and emergency response.
Photo: Joby Aviation Joby Flies Two Aircraft Simultaneously in Testing Milestone
Joby Aviation, Inc. recently announced it has successfully flown two of its aircraft simultaneously for the first time, marking another important milestone in the company’s flight testing program.
Commenting on the milestone, JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO, said, “This achievement not only demonstrates Joby’s leadership in the sector, it’s another indication of the power of American innovation.
“Our air taxi is designed, manufactured and assembled here in the U.S., and we are a proudly American company, employing engineers and other experts across 40 different U.S. states. With six aircraft in our test fleet, flying multiple aircraft at a time will play an important role in accelerating our certification testing and supporting our plans to carry our first passengers next year.”
Joby has partnered with Delta Air Lines and Uber to bring its service to the U.S., and expects Los Angeles and New York City to be launch markets. Service is planned to start shortly after Joby receives type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Outside the U.S., Joby recently announced a partnership with Virgin Atlantic to bring its service to the U.K. and has partnered with ANA Holdings Inc., Japan’s largest airline, to bring its service to Japan.
Joby’s Q1 2025 shareholder letter celebrated a second consecutive quarter of record progress toward certifying its aircraft with the FAA, and reiterated plans to start passenger operations in Dubai in early 2026.
Joby has completed more than 40,000 miles of test flights across multiple aircraft, including demonstration flights in New York City, Japan, and Korea. The sixth aircraft to join Joby’s flight test program is currently undergoing final functional checks, having been powered on for the first time last month. Two aircraft are positioned at Edwards Air Force Base where they are completing testing in conjunction with the company’s defense customers.
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