Air taxi takes first flight in Astana
Astana has hosted its first-ever demonstration flight of an electric air taxi, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The demonstration took place at the Kazanat Hippodrome as part of the Games of the Future 2026. It was organized by Kazakhstan’s Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd. (AAAG) together with Chinese eVTOL manufacturer AutoFlight.
The flight featured the AutoFlight Prosperity, an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to carry one pilot and up to five passengers. It has a top speed of 200 km/h, a range of 200 km, and is powered by 13 electric motors, producing significantly less noise than conventional aircraft and zero direct CO2 emissions.
The demonstration was conducted without passengers in accordance 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 the legal framework for eVTOL aircraft, vertiports and unmanned traffic management systems.
The aircraft will next be displayed outside Barys Arena on July 29-30 as part of the Games of the Future 2026, where visitors will be able to see 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.