During a demonstration flight at the Kazanat Hippodrome in Astana, the capital, the Chinese manufacturer AutoFlight unveiled the Prosperity eVTOL aircraft. Kazakhstan's Alatau Advanced Air Group (AAAG) organized the event in cooperation with AutoFlight.

The aircraft can carry one pilot and five passengers, reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) per hour, and travel about 200 kilometers (124 miles) on a single charge.

The air taxi service is expected to launch in Alatau, a new city being built from the ground up under Kazakhstan's digital city concept.

- Kazakhstan aims to be regional pioneer

Speaking to Anadolu, AAAG Director of Investor Relations Daniyar Uteulin said air taxi technology is still at an early stage of development worldwide and has so far been adopted by only a limited number of countries.

Referring to similar projects in the United States, China, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and several European countries, Uteulin said, "Kazakhstan is among the first 10 countries in the world developing and implementing this technology. In Central Asia, we will be the first."

He said the air taxi project is an important part of Alatau's smart city vision, noting that the city is being built around new technologies and that air taxis will serve as a key component of its smart transport system. He added that projects of this kind would make Alatau more attractive to international investors.

- Commercial flights planned for late 2028 or early 2029

Uteulin said the air taxis would initially operate as a commercial service, but costs are expected to decline as the fleet expands, additional vertiports are built, and flight frequencies increase. The long-term goal, he said, is to reduce fares to the level of premium ground taxi services.

On pilot training, Uteulin said the project would rely on existing helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft pilots rather than training new pilots from scratch, with the aircraft manufacturers providing initial training.

He said the first commercial air taxi services are planned to begin in late 2028 or early 2029 between Alatau, Almaty, and tourist destinations in the Almaty region before gradually expanding across Kazakhstan.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan adopted new legislation granting legal status for the first time to eVTOL aircraft, vertiports, and unmanned air traffic management systems.

Source: AA