Astana hosted the first demonstrative flight of an air taxi, organized by Kazakh private company Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd. in partnership with Chinese electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer AutoFlight, reports infohub.kz.
The eVTOL AutoFlight Prosperity used for the demonstration is designed for one pilot and five passengers. It can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h and cover distances of up to 200 km.
To comply with safety requirements, the demonstrative flight was conducted without passengers.
"The demonstrative flight of an air taxi in Astana is not an isolated demonstration but part of systematic efforts to introduce urban air mobility in Kazakhstan... Demo flights allow us to gradually prepare the industry for the practical implementation of new technologies," said Sergey Khegay, CEO of Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd.
After the demonstrative flight, the AutoFlight Prosperity air taxi will become one of the exhibits at the Future Games 2026 international tournament in Astana. On July 29 and 30, the aircraft will be presented at an open exhibition in front of Barys Arena.
Earlier reports stated that a flight from Almaty to Konayev via air taxi could cost 32,000 tenge.