Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) firm AutoFlight aims to have its airtaxi ‘Prosperity I’ ready for passenger travel by 2025, and to achieve this target has established its first base in Europe.
The company will set up its European team at a new R&D and certification centre in Augsburg Airport, Germany. And has appointed former Airbus manager Mark Robert Henning as managing director of AutoFlight Europe.
Henning, said: “We are bringing aircraft construction back to Augsburg, creating a high-tech location and jobs as we build drones and create a completely new market segment for airtaxis.
“What I really like about AutoFlight and ‘Prosperity I’ is the underlying simple concept. Simplicity translates into safety and efficiency.”
The team’s first task is to achieve European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for its first manned aircraft. It will then look to establish additional locations for test and demonstration flights across Europe.
According to the company, safety is and always will be AutoFlight’s top commitment. The eVTOL developer is dedicated to making its airtaxi as safe as a commercial airliner, and will work closely with European authorities.
The manufacturer added the simplicity of its design, the ‘lift and cruise’ configuration, combines superior range – approximately 250km – and safety with low technical complexity, making it affordable.
