AutoFlight Makes First Public Intercity Flight of Electric Air Taxi

The Chinese manufacturer said it was the first to achieve the milestone, flying about 31 miles between Shenzhen and Zhuhai.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at 02:20 PM ET

Verified

AutoFlight’s Prosperity eVTOL air taxi flew autonomously between the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai. [Courtesy: AutoFlight]

Key Takeaways:

AutoFlight successfully conducted the world's first autonomous intercity electric air taxi demonstration in China, flying its Prosperity eVTOL between Shenzhen and Zhuhai in 20 minutes (a journey typically taking three hours by car).
This demonstration marks a significant step in China's plan to develop a "low-altitude economy" in the Greater Bay Area, aiming for hundreds of eVTOL routes and thousands of vertiports for various services.
The five-seat Prosperity eVTOL, which holds the record for the longest eVTOL flight, is targeting Chinese certification for crewed passenger flights within two years and has secured an order for 100 aircraft from air transport operator Heli-Eastern.

See a mistake? Contact us.

China’s AutoFlight on Tuesday said it took an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft where one had never been before.

The manufacturer claims to have completed the world’s first public electric air taxi demonstration between two cities, flying its Prosperity eVTOL across the Pearl River Delta between the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai. The flight—a journey that would take about three hours by car—lasted just 20 minutes.