Chicago-headquartered AAR has elected Billy Nolen to its board of directors, effectively immediately. Nolen, 66, brings more than 30 years of aviation experience across safety, operations, and regulatory affairs, the company says. He recently served as acting FAA Administrator and is currently the chief safety officer at Archer Aviation, an air mobility company known for developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. While at the FAA, Nolen revamped certification requirements and airport-focused safety management systems and earlier served as its associate administrator for aviation safety. "Mr. Nolen brings a unique combination of commercial, government, and military expertise in aviation and a vison for the future of the industry," states John Holmes, AAR's chairman, president and chief executive. "He will add to the breadth of experience we have on our board and help guide the continued execution of our strategy."

EHang has received the world’s first type certification for unmanned electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its passenger-carrying pilotless eVTOL aircraft EH216-S. This paves the way for the Guangzhou-based start-up to conduct passenger-carrying UAV commercial operations. “Our self-developed EH216-S passenger-carrying UAV system has finally met high expectation to secure the first TC [type certification] in the global eVTOL industry, marking a significant chapter in civil aviation history. Embracing the TC as our springboard, we will launch commercial operations of the EH216-S unmanned eVTOLs, prioritising safety above all,” states chairman, founder and chief executive, Hu Huazhi. “This will enable us to steadily progress towards our strategic goal to be a UAM platform operator, and commit to our mission to enable safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone,” he adds. The certification puts it ahead of other competitors. German developer Volocopter is targeting 2024 for type certification, while UK-based Vertical Aerospace pushed back its target for certification to 2026 from 2025. Meanwhile, US developer Joby Aviation has completed two of five stages in the Federal Aviation Administration's type certification process as of February.

Middle Eastern budget carrier Flydubai plans to resume flights to Afghanistan's capital Kabul on 15 November. The route will be operated twice daily, says Flydubai. It notes that it serves more than 115 destinations across 54 countries with its fleet of 78 Boeing 737s.