AutoFlight in Nanjing heralds age of air taxis

A car ride to a destination 20 kilometers away may take 20-25 minutes, but new-age mini aircraft may need no more than five minutes. That is one of the many benefits that high-profile electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft promise to deliver.

One such aircraft recently completed its maiden flight across the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, offering a glimpse into the future of low-altitude travel and cultural tourism.

Commonly known as air taxis, eVTOL aircraft offer new options for short-haul flights in urban areas. An eVTOL aircraft can take off and land flexibly because it does not need runways. What is more, it offers zero carbon emissions and lower noise than traditional helicopters.

Companies and governments are conducting trials to figure out if such aircraft can enhance urban aerial logistics and enable air travel under diverse circumstances.

On Thursday, a five-seater, 2-metric-ton Prosperity eVTOL aircraft of Shanghai-based eVTOL developer AutoFlight took off from Nanjing's unmanned aerial vehicle base in the Pukou High-tech Zone, circled the Yangtze River at a height of 250 meters, reached for the skies above the Yuzui Wetland Park in Jianye district, and returned to the base within five minutes.

The straight-line distance between the two locations is 5.5 km, but the ground vehicle journey covers a distance of 20 km, requiring a 25-minute ride, said Xie Jia, senior vice-president of AutoFlight.

In February, Prosperity completed the world's first inter-city air-taxi flight from Shenzhen to Zhuhai in Guangdong province. Thursday's Nanjing flight heralds possibilities of its applications in tourism. "The eVTOL aircraft can ease traffic congestion on roads while providing tourists with aerial views, enhancing both convenience and the sightseeing experience," Xie said.

The aircraft created a world record for a single battery charge flight range of 250.3 kilometers.

"Compared with urban helicopters, we have advantages in cost, which is about 6 yuan ($0.83) per km," he said. "Currently, it is undergoing test runs without anyone onboard, controlled by ground flight programs. Manned operations are not expected to begin until at least 2026. By then, the aircraft will have pilots."

Courier service provider SF Express may use the device in the near future in mountainous areas and islands where land transportation is inconvenient, Xie said.

As one of the first civil unmanned aerial test areas in the country, Nanjing has gathered nearly 60 related enterprises in its Pukou district, where an industry chain is being formed.

Nanjing is expected to open more than 120 low-altitude air routes by 2026 to meet the diverse needs of low-altitude airspace users, according to a three-year action plan to construct a low-altitude flight service support system (2024-26) released recently. It defines four major development goals to be achieved by 2026.

It will construct more than 240 low-altitude aircraft takeoff and landing sites and supporting low-altitude information infrastructure. It will designate an airspace of about 1,500 square kilometers, and open more than 120 low-altitude air routes.

It will have four major applications — public services, production operations, low-altitude transportation and aviation consumption. A safe and efficient low-altitude management mechanism will be established. No fewer than three test flight sites and drone operator training points will be built. It will also develop inspection and testing service institutions, and formulate a batch of low-altitude flight management rules and standards, according to the plan.