AAM eVTOL delivered to Customer in World-first Event

In what is thought to be the beginning of an upheaval in general aviation, an advanced air mobility (AAM) electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft exceeding one ton has been delivered to a customer in Japan.

The Chinese-built AutoFlight Prosperity five-seat eVTOL was handed over to an undisclosed customer, AutoFlight announced overnight, which the company claims is the first time such an eVTOL has been delivered.

The operator is currently developing plans for demonstration eVTOL flights at the 2025 Osaka World Expo, as well as a wider AAM roll-out in Japan.

“The official delivery of the first Prosperity to a customer signifies a new chapter for AutoFlight as we begin to ship our innovative electric aircraft to global markets," said Tian Yu, founder and co-chairman of AutoFlight.

"Additionally, on the cargo side the receipt of orders for over 200 CarryAll planes already demonstrates a very strong market demand for our products.”

In late March, the AutoFlight CarryAll, the cargo version of the Prosperity, was granted a type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), making it the first eVTOL over one ton to be certified anywhere in the world.

In February, a Prosperity conducted an air taxi demonstration flight between the southern Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai. The aircraft completed the flight by autonomously flying the 27-nm route in 20 minutes, whereas a car trip between the two cities would normally take three hours due to a river dividing the two.

The flight took the eVTOL very close to Chep Lap Kok airport in Hong Kong.

The CarryAll cargo version has an MTOW of 2 tons and operates autonomously on electric power. Its compliance verification encompassed various aspects, including performance control, stability, lift/thrust system, structural strength, composite blades, battery system, avionics, electrical system, and flight performance.

AAM and eVTOLs are expected to flourish in the next few years as new designs reach the certification stage of development. Several Australian companies such as Microflite, Nautilus Aviation and Aviation Logistics have placed orders for eVTOLs currently under development.