Kazakhstan Starts Air Taxi Tests in Boost for Urban Mobility - VIDEO
Kazakhstan on May 19 officially began testing a new mode of transportation - the air taxi - with the first demonstration flight taking place in Alatau City.
The test trials are being conducted in an open area near Almaty along a national highway. The location was selected for the construction of the country’s first vertiport, a specialized facility designed for the takeoff and landing of eVTOL aircraft, The Caspian Post reports, citing Qazinform.
In the future, the site is also expected to host the UAM Center Eurasia and Kazakhstan’s first fully operational vertiport.
The presentation showcased the AutoFlight PROSPERITY model, an electric air taxi built to carry six people, including one pilot and five passengers.
The aircraft can reach speeds of 200 to 250 kilometers per hour and has a flight range of up to 200 kilometers. Its wingspan measures 15 meters, while the vehicle is 11.6 meters long and 3.3 meters high.
Today, the aircraft is flying without passengers for safety reasons. Attendees are watching the demonstration from a designated viewing platform.
Kellen Xie, Senior Vice President of the Chinese company AutoFlight, noted that the electric model can be used not only for passenger transport but also for cargo delivery, firefighting, and emergency operations. According to him, eVTOL is significantly quieter than a helicopter and does not require a traditional runway. He cited fast connectivity between different points without the need for large airport infrastructure as one of the technology's key advantages.
During the presentation, other company models were also showcased, including the larger 5-ton eVTOL V5000 Matrix, designed for long-range transport and increased cargo capacity.
Marat Sultangaziyev, Akim (Governor) of the Almaty region, noted at the opening ceremony that launching the test center in pilot mode will lay the foundation for developing a new transport system. According to him, such technologies are not yet used on an industrial scale anywhere in the world.
Alisher Abdykadyrov, CEO of the Alatau City Authority state fund, underlined that urban air mobility technologies are only now transitioning from concept to practical application, and it is important that Kazakhstan is among the countries adopting such solutions.
"The Constitutional Law 'On the special legal regime of Alatau City,' signed by the Head of State on May 8, 2026, creates unique conditions for executing innovative projects, testing future technologies, and attracting international partners," he said.
Sergey Khegay, CEO of Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd., said that his team began exploring the prospects of developing UAM for Alatau City in September 2024 after visiting South Korea. In March 2025, the company was founded with the support of partners.
He noted that the specialists have visited the United States, China, Singapore, the UAE, Japan, and European countries, where they studied global best practices and technologies in urban air mobility to implement them in Kazakhstan.
