The US Federal Aviation Administration and the UK Civil Aviation Authority in a joint statement on 3 March said they “are engaged in a range of bilateral and multilateral discussions” to support the development of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft as companies in both nations aim to certificate their aircraft for passenger flights. The talks between US and UK regulators are focused on certification, production, continued airworthiness, operations, and personnel licensing. “As these aircraft enter into the aviation ecosystem, we must continue to maintain the high safety standards that the public expects,” according to the statement. “To streamline and expedite integration, this technology should use existing regulatory frameworks on which that strong safety record is founded.” Numerous companies developing eVTOLs are based in the USA, including Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation. Both of those firms are based in California and are publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange. UK-based Vertical Aerospace, which is also publicly traded, aims to certificate its eVTOL with both the CAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency by 2024. Both the FAA and NASA are also studying urban air mobility with the aim of producing data and guidelines to assist the emerging industry.

Airbus has opened a new flight training facility in Angouleme in south-west France, with capacity to train 200 pilot cadets at once. The Airbus Flight Academy Europe (AFAE) centre includes 14 class- and briefing rooms, a simulator hall and catering facilities, the European airframer says. “By enlarging its ab-initio training base, Airbus reaffirms its longstanding commitment to support its airline customers in anticipating and preparing for the future,” the airframer states. It estimates that around 550,000 new pilots will be required over the next 20 years. AFAE is the first European flight school for Airbus’s pilot cadet training programme. Meanwhile, Volotea will recruit 11 of Airbus’s newly graduated pilot cadets, becoming the first airline to do so. These cadets are in the final training stages and will fly as commercial airline pilots from April-May this year, Airbus says.

The USA has advised its citizens against travelling to Hong Kong over the risk of parent-child separation due to the city's Covid-19 restrictions. Raised to the highest Level 4 on 1 March, the travel advisory urges US citizens to reconsider travel to Hong Kong "due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws". The US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau says in a statement dated 2 March: "We made this update to reflect the current situation in Hong Kong, where a zero-tolerance approach to Covid-19 by the PRC and Hong Kong governments severely impacts travel and access to public services. "We especially want to note for families considering traveling to or residing in Hong Kong that in some cases, children in Hong Kong who test positive have been separated from their parents and kept in isolation until they meet local hospital discharge requirements." Due to Covid-19 developments and restrictions, the USA has raised and maintained its travel advisory at the highest Level 4 for many other jurisdictions. Within Asia-Pacific, these currently include Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand.