AutoFlight has successfully completed a flight test of its V2000CG Carry All, the autonomous cargo version of the two-ton Prosperity eVTOL.
The flight took place on May 13, 2024, at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), in China.
It is the first real flight test of an eVTOL of this size at a Class 4F airport, the category that designates the largest airports, those capable of handling all types of aircraft.
Although the test involved a cargo aircraft, AutoFlight is pitching transfers between the airport and the city center, a journey that takes about 10 minutes by air, as the primary use case.
A few days earlier, on May 6, 2024, AutoFlight conducted a V2000CG Carry All demonstration flight in Al Ain, in the desert of eastern Abu Dhabi.
For 41 minutes the AutoFlight’s aircraft flew several circuits around the Emirates Falcons Aviation Aeroclub, covering 123 km in total.
eVTOL developers have been flocking to Abu Dhabi since the Emirate plans to become one of the first places in the world to launch advanced air mobility operations. In the last few weeks companies such as Archer, Joby and EHang have all showcased aircraft in Abu Dhabi. EHang even conducted a flight demonstration of its EH216-S aircraft with passengers onboard.
In February 2024, AutoFlight’s Carry All received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The Chinese developer has also filed a certification application for the passenger version of the aircraft, the five-seater Prosperity.