AutoFlight to Deliver 50 eVTOLs This Year

Falcon Aviation Services announced Monday that it signed an agreement with China-based AutoFlight for 50 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with deliveries beginning by the end of 2025. The order, finalized on Oct. 27, includes 15 V2000CG CarryAll cargo models and 35 V2000EM Prosperity passenger aircraft. 

Falcon plans to deploy the first batch to provide services for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), marking one of the region’s first large-scale uses of eVTOL systems in the energy sector.

Certification and Industry Milestones

AutoFlight’s V2000CG CarryAll is the world’s first ton-class eVTOL to obtain all three major airworthiness certificates—Type, Production and Airworthiness—from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The approvals, granted in 2024 and 2025, make it the first aircraft of its weight class certified for design, manufacturing and operation. 

The company recently completed the world’s first offshore oil platform flight using the CarryAll with partners CNOOC and CITIC Offshore Helicopter. 

Passenger Certification and UAE Regulatory Outlook

While AutoFlight’s cargo model is fully certified in China, the passenger variant, the V2000EM Prosperity, remains in verification testing and has yet to secure certification for passenger operations. Transferring certification from China to the United Arab Emirates will require separate validation under the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority. The GCAA recently issued what it called the world’s first hybrid air mobility regulations, laying groundwork for future eVTOL operations and vertiport infrastructure, but no AutoFlight-specific approvals have yet been announced.

Market Readiness and Future Prospects

Delivery this year might be achievable for the cargo aircraft, although passenger deliveries could depend on regulatory progress and operational readiness within Abu Dhabi’s evolving Advanced Air Mobility framework. China’s EHang currently remains the only company to have gained approval for commercial passenger eVTOL flights, while others—such as Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Vertical Aerospace—are still in testing and certification phases. 

Falcon CEO Captain Raman Oberoi said the partnership represents “a significant milestone” toward sustainable regional air mobility, adding that the established delivery schedule “will be instrumental in accelerating the adoption of low-altitude air mobility.”

AutoFlight completed its first proof-of-concept transition test back in 2022; at the time, the company said it aimed to be fully certified in Europe by the end of 2025.