Air Taxi Makes First Test Flight in Japan

An eVTOL (electric takeoff and landing) startup made its first successful flight of its two-ton flying vehicle in Japan,

The flight in Okayama Prefecture was conducted in collaboration with the Japanese non-profit organization MASC. The flight was approved by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB).

Future test flights across multiple Japanese cities are now planned to follow the initial demonstration as Japan works to create the next generation of urban air transportation.

AutoFlight recently delivered its first flying vehicle to Japan. The electric aerial vehicle (EAV) maker delivered its five-seater Prosperity to an advanced air mobility (AAM) operator.

The flying vehicle is expected to be used to demonstrate EAV flights at the 2025 Osaka World Expo along with wider AAM deployments in Japan.

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AuroFlight also received type certification (TC) from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its CarryAll, the cargo carrying version of Prosperity.

This is believed to be the first eVTOL vehicle above one ton to have been awarded type certification.

The electric CarryAll EAV can operate fully autonomously with a maximum takeoff weight of two tons, according to the company.

Related:Air Taxi Flies Between China Cities; 3-Hour Drive Cut to 20 Minutes

AutoFlight earlier conducted the first inter-city electric taxi trip in China, flying between the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai.

The demonstration flight by the Prosperity EAV was uncrewed and flew fully autonomously.

The flight across the Pearl River Delta cut a typical three-hour car drive to a 20-minute flight.

This is believed to be the world’s first public flight of an EAV on a cross-sea and inter-city route.

The EAV strategy in the region calls for the opening of thousands of vertiports and hundreds of eVTOL travel routes across the Greater Bay Area in southern China with passenger-carrying flights expected in two years.

AutoFlight’s has partnered with Heli-Eastern, a general aviation carrier and helicopter service provider, which has agreed to purchase 100 Prosperity vehicles.

AutoFlight also has created a fully functional prototype of a flying vehicle aimed at firefighting and able to carry up to 800 pounds with a range of 124 miles.

The self-flying EAV is designed to transport four high-performance fire-extinguishing canisters weighing 22 pounds each with the capacity to extinguish fires covering up to 235 square yards individually. 

An earlier version of the Prosperity was tested last year by taking off vertically and flying in formation. Those vehicles have flown at different heights and for different durations with test flights ranging up to 75 miles at a time and up to 42 minutes per flight.

Related:Air Taxi Company Launches Flying Firefighting Vehicle

AutoFlight also has demonstrated a formation of three self-flying EAVs in Shanghai.

The company has dual headquarters in Shanghai, China, and Augsburg, Germany.

The seven-year-old startup is backed by the European technology holding company Team Global, which also has investments in EAV companies Archer Aviation and Volocopter.