Photo: AutoFlight
AutoFlight marks another massive milestone for its flagship eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) with what is claimed to be the world's first public flight of an electric air taxi carried out both inter-city and on a cross-sea route.
With the AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) industry still in its infancy, there's ample room for pioneering achievements and industry firsts. Every one of these bold endeavors becomes a leap toward the next stage in eVTOL development and commercialization. The day when fully electric air taxis will become part of the regular transportation network in major cities is no longer a distant dream.
One of the most recent industry firsts is linked to the famous Prosperity eVTOL. It was announced as the first of its kind in the world, where a pilot-free eVTOL successfully completed a flight over an inter-city route that was also a cross-sea route.
It happened in southern China, between Shenzhen and Zhuhai. It's a 31-mile (50 km) route, and the Prosperity eVTOL managed to cover it in just 20 minutes, compared to the three hours it would take by car. That, in itself, is already a major win. But what made this flight even more significant was the area and its particularities.
First of all, the route between these two cities includes the bay known as the Pearl River Delta, where the sea and the Pearl River meet. This meant that Prosperity not only flew publicly between two cities, but also flew across this bay, marking a pioneering cross-sea eVTOL flight.
Secondly, this is a challenging area due to its high population density and vicinity to several major international airports. This exciting premiere also marked the first step toward regular air taxi service in the area. In other words, the public got a glimpse of what it can expect in the near future. Soon, multiple Prosperity aircraft operated by aviation carrier Heli-Eastern will take to the sky in several regions across southern China, including this one.
That's because Heli-Eastern purchased 100 Prosperity units from AutoFlight, which will operate as part of a large-scale "low-altitude economy" project, which includes multi-modal transportation.
This demonstration flight was completely autonomous, and the Prosperity eVTOL is expected to operate without a pilot in the beginning. According to the manufacturer, its air taxi should secure the green light for piloted flights two years from now.
Prosperity boasts a five-seat air taxi configuration and is best known as the only eVTOL in the world designed by the legendary automotive designer Frank Stephenson, who worked with Ferrari, McLaren, and Maserati, to name just a few.
AutoFlight has a strong global presence already. Its engineering and certification center is based in Germany, its manufacturing and testing facilities are located in China, and it conducts its commercial operations out of California.
One of the most recent industry firsts is linked to the famous Prosperity eVTOL. It was announced as the first of its kind in the world, where a pilot-free eVTOL successfully completed a flight over an inter-city route that was also a cross-sea route.
It happened in southern China, between Shenzhen and Zhuhai. It's a 31-mile (50 km) route, and the Prosperity eVTOL managed to cover it in just 20 minutes, compared to the three hours it would take by car. That, in itself, is already a major win. But what made this flight even more significant was the area and its particularities.
First of all, the route between these two cities includes the bay known as the Pearl River Delta, where the sea and the Pearl River meet. This meant that Prosperity not only flew publicly between two cities, but also flew across this bay, marking a pioneering cross-sea eVTOL flight.
Secondly, this is a challenging area due to its high population density and vicinity to several major international airports. This exciting premiere also marked the first step toward regular air taxi service in the area. In other words, the public got a glimpse of what it can expect in the near future. Soon, multiple Prosperity aircraft operated by aviation carrier Heli-Eastern will take to the sky in several regions across southern China, including this one.
That's because Heli-Eastern purchased 100 Prosperity units from AutoFlight, which will operate as part of a large-scale "low-altitude economy" project, which includes multi-modal transportation.
This demonstration flight was completely autonomous, and the Prosperity eVTOL is expected to operate without a pilot in the beginning. According to the manufacturer, its air taxi should secure the green light for piloted flights two years from now.
Prosperity boasts a five-seat air taxi configuration and is best known as the only eVTOL in the world designed by the legendary automotive designer Frank Stephenson, who worked with Ferrari, McLaren, and Maserati, to name just a few.
AutoFlight has a strong global presence already. Its engineering and certification center is based in Germany, its manufacturing and testing facilities are located in China, and it conducts its commercial operations out of California.
Google News