Autoflight delivers first eVTOL in Japan
According to Autoflight, the customer is later planning what it says is a more “comprehensive” introduction of electric air taxis in Japan. The Shanghai-based manufacturer says it was also the “world’s first delivery of a civilian eVTOL aircraft in the one-ton class”.
Although certification of the Prosperity was not planned until 2025 – meaning that the customer will not be able to use the aircraft commercially before then – Autoflight says this is not planned until the World Expo next year anyway. In 2023, Prosperity set a record for the longest flight distance of an eVTOL without a charging stop, though still remote-controlled from the ground.
This February, a demonstration flight was also carried out between the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai. The 50-kilometer flight lasted 20 minutes – according to the company, the same journey generally takes around three hours by car due to the traffic conditions.
A cargo variant of Autoflight’s Prosperity model called CarryAll recently received type certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Autoflight says this is the world’s first eVTOL weighing over one ton to receive type certification.
“The official delivery of the first Prosperity to a customer signifies a new chapter for AutoFlight as we begin to ship our innovative electric aircraft to global markets,” says Tian Yu, Founder and Co-Chairman of Autoflight. “Additionally, on the cargo side, the receipt of orders for over 200 CarryAll planes already demonstrates a very strong market demand for our products”
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