Advanced Air Mobility Modern Flying

Zapata’s AirScooter—a Personal Flying Machine—Heads to Las Vegas

French company in early 2026 will open a flight center in Las Vegas, offering training and 40-minute flights to the public.

Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET

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Zapata’s personal, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) AirScooter is undergoing flight testing at Lake Havasu, Arizona. [Courtesy: Zapata]

Key Takeaways:

Zapata, the company behind Franky Zapata's English Channel jetpack crossing, will launch its AirScooter, a personal vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, for public experiential flights in Las Vegas by early 2026.
The AirScooter is a single-seat, hybrid-electric ultralight aircraft, meaning it qualifies under FAA Part 103 and does not require pilot certification for users.
Zapata's inaugural U.S. flight center will offer 40-minute flights after a virtual reality and simulator training course, with the aircraft boasting a reported two-hour flight time.

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Next year, visitors to the entertainment capital of the world will be able to take to the skies without a pilot’s certificate.

Zapata, the French company behind a jetpack and hoverboard system that founder Franky Zapata used to cross the English Channel in 2019, on Friday announced that its AirScooter—a personal, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft—will debut in Las Vegas in early 2026. The company’s inaugural U.S. flight center will offer training and 40-minute flights on the single-seat AirScooter, which has a top speed of 63 mph.

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.