Astana hosts first air taxi demonstration flight

The first demonstration flight of an air taxi took place in Astana today, July 24. The event was organized by the Kazakhstani company Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd. together with its Chinese partner, eVTOL AutoFlight. The flight took place at the Kazanat Hippodrome.

The demonstration used an AutoFlight Prosperity electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed to carry one pilot and five passengers, with a maximum speed of 200 kilometers per hour and a range of up to 200 kilometers.

However, the demonstration flight proceeded without passengers to comply with safety requirements.

«The demonstration flight of an air taxi in Astana is not a one-off demonstration but part of a broader effort to introduce urban air mobility in Kazakhstan… Demonstration flights help prepare the industry for the practical introduction of new technologies,» Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd. CEO  Sergey Khegay said.

Air taxi technology was also endorsed in a special regulatory mode of the city of Alatau. The constitutional law that came into effect on July 1, 2026, made it a main platform to test innovative transport. Because Alatau is being built from the ground up, infrastructure for air taxis and unmanned aerial vehicles is being incorporated into the city’s master plan at the design stage.

Following the demonstration flight, the AutoFlight Prosperity air taxi will be exhibited at the 2026 Games of the Future in Astana. The aircraft will be on display on July 29 and 30 at an outdoor exhibition in front of Barys Arena.