New era in Central Asia's skies: Unmanned air taxi tested for the first time in Astana
A significant event for the region's aviation history took place in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana: the maiden demonstration flight of the fully electric AutoFlight Prosperity air taxi was successfully carried out. This technological test is regarded as an important step toward digitizing the transport system and developing urban aviation. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .
The flight was organized at the "Qazanat" hippodrome grounds in Astana. The event was held in partnership between Kazakhstan's Alatau Advance Air Group and China's AutoFlight brand. The aircraft features vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, making it highly convenient for use in modern megacity environments.
Technical capabilities and flight details
The demonstration flight lasted approximately 10 minutes. During this time, the air taxi covered a distance of 2.4 kilometers along a designated trajectory and circled twice in the air. To ensure safety measures, there were no people in the cabin during this first test; the vehicle was operated in a fully automatic, remote-controlled mode.The AutoFlight Prosperity model is astonishing industry experts with its technical specifications. In the future, this air transport is expected to feature:
- Capacity to transport one pilot and five passengers;
- Propulsion powered by a total of 13 electric motors;
- Maximum speed of up to 200 kilometers per hour;
- Ability to cover a distance of 200 kilometers on a single charge.
The testing of such technologies in our region indicates a growing interest among Central Asian countries in high-tech transportation solutions. If the project develops successfully, the problem of traffic congestion in the future could be solved with the help of smart flying taxis.
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