Source: Air taxi takes first flight in Astana

The demonstration was held at the Kazanat Hippodrome during the Games of the Future 2026 and was organized by Kazakhstan’s Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd. (AAAG) and Chinese eVTOL manufacturer AutoFlight.

The AutoFlight Prosperity electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can carry one pilot and up to five passengers, reach 200 km/h, and travel up to 200 km. Powered by 13 electric motors, it produces significantly less noise than conventional aircraft and zero direct CO2 emissions. The passenger-free demonstration complied with international safety standards for first public flights of new aircraft.

“The demonstration flight in Astana is not a standalone event but part of a systematic effort to introduce Urban Air Mobility in Kazakhstan… Our goal is to make innovative air transport an integral part of Kazakhstan’s transportation system,” said Sergey Khegay, Chief Executive Officer of Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd.

The project received legislative backing in June after President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed amendments establishing a legal framework for eVTOL aircraft, vertiports and unmanned traffic management systems.

The aircraft will next be displayed outside Barys Arena on July 29-30 during the Games of the Future 2026, allowing visitors to view it up close.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan had adopted a legal framework regulating air taxis, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and unmanned aviation.