Alatau to Debut Kazakhstan’s First Air Taxi System

Alatau, a newly established city in southern Kazakhstan near Almaty, is poised to become the country’s first urban center to introduce an air taxi system.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development recently signed a memorandum of understanding with U.S. based Joby Aero, Inc. for the purchase of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft valued at approximately $300 million, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

The aircraft will form the basis of a new urban air mobility system.

The agreement also includes Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd., a local operator and integrator of air mobility technologies, and Vyacheslav Kim, chairman of the board of directors at Kaspi.kz and a key investor in the Alatau City development project.

Plans for the construction of Alatau City were unveiled in late 2024, when four villages near Almaty were merged to create a new urban agglomeration. The city aims to attract $7.2 billion in investment and grow to a population of 2 million. It will also be part of a special economic zone that includes more than 170 planned projects worth a combined $24.4 billion. Authorities hope to position Alatau as a leading destination for investors.

Joby Aero, Inc., a global leader in eVTOL aviation and the developer of certified electric air taxis, will supply aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing. These aircraft will anchor Kazakhstan’s first urban air mobility initiative. The agreement also includes the creation of a testing site in southern Kazakhstan for certification and demonstration flights, along with plans to integrate air taxis into the transport systems of both Alatau and Almaty.

Joby’s electric aircraft can travel up to 160 kilometers on a single charge and reach speeds of up to 322 km/h. The distance between Almaty and Alatau is approximately 34 kilometers.

“Kazakhstan is taking a step into the future of innovative transport. The purchase of electric eVTOL aircraft marks an important milestone in developing smart cities and integrating cutting-edge technologies,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. “This move will shape Alatau as a city built on the technologies of tomorrow.”