Production-ready electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are already hitting the market.
California-based Pivotal in 2024 opened U.S. sales of its Helix—a personal, single-seat eVTOL design—following a handful of deliveries of its BlackFly prototype. Now, Israel-based Air says it too has transitioned from aircraft development to commercial scale.
The company on Wednesday unveiled a production-ready, uncrewed, heavy-lift cargo eVTOL that it said is already in the hands of an undisclosed customer.
“This production model represents years of engineering refinement and collaboration with industry leaders, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies,” said Rani Plaut, co-founder and CEO of Air. “We’ve moved beyond proof of concept to proven performance and commercial deployment.”
The company earlier this year said it anticipates 15 more cargo eVTOL deliveries in 2025. On Wednesday, it said another 18 will be delivered throughout 2026. Plaut previously told Aviation International News that Air’s estimated $1 million in revenue in 2023 came mainly from demand for the cargo model.
Simultaneously, Air plans to begin working through its backlog of about 2,900 preorders for its piloted, two-seat Air One.
New eVTOL on the Block
Air’s flagship Air One is billed as a multiuse platform, available in both two-seat piloted and uncrewed cargo variants.
The uncrewed model is capable of vertical takeoff with up to 550 pounds of payload, designed for logistics, defense, and humanitarian use cases. Air said a new, “streamlined” airframe from supplier EDAG Group expands the vehicle’s cargo capacity and cabin space, improves its range and efficiency, and includes foldable wings and motor arms for easy transport. It is dual-use, serving as a platform for both crewed and uncrewed variants.
Air One will be powered by electric motors from Japan’s Nidec Motor Corp. Air said the production-ready aircraft features improved battery integration and a “next-generation electrical and avionics architecture,” as well as “advanced electric motors, redundant communication and navigation equipment for GPS-denied areas, and a fully updated avionics suite.”
Both Air One models have a projected top speed of 155 mph and one hour of flight time per charge. They will be built at a 32,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Israel, with a full assembly line capable of simultaneous assembly of up to six aircraft.
In August, Air raised $23 million to expand operations in the U.S., where it plans to build a second, automated production center. Though based in Israel, it has a longtime presence in Fort Worth, Texas.
In the Field
Air’s first production-ready eVTOL delivery is a long time coming.
The company in late 2023 quietly delivered a preproduction cargo model to an undisclosed launch customer, who has been flying it for nearly two years. Air said the “operational deployment” included missions beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS), remote resupply, and integration with ground systems—all of which helped shape the vehicle’s final design.
In June, Air said it conducted the first night operations of an uncrewed midsize eVTOL, which included participation from the undisclosed customer. At the same time, it has been building flight hours through a partnership with the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime division, part of its innovation unit, AFWERX.
In September, Air received an FAA experimental airworthiness certificate for what it described as its newest U.S.-based prototype, allowing the company to ramp up flight testing it is conducting in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The company said its first production-ready cargo variant, meanwhile, will soon conduct a debut flight in Israel. By early 2026, it is expected to be operational. The firm said subsequent production-ready cargo variants will be shipped to the U.S. for demonstration and certification before final delivery.
Air will also look to begin deliveries of its piloted Air One, which it intends to certify as a light sport aircraft (LSA). The company in July said the FAA’s updated Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) rule clears the way for an Air One LSA certification by allowing new technologies, such as electric propulsion and fly-by-wire control systems.
Correction: Air did not previously announce a 440-pound payload for its Air One, as a previous version of this article stated.
