AutoFlight and Falcon Aviation Services have embarked on a pioneering collaboration aimed at spearheading the advancement of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in the United Arab Emirates and throughout the region.
Falcon Aviation Services (FAS) is a leading Business Aviation Services Operator in the Middle East and Africa region (MENA), and a key player in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government’s AAM strategy, while AutoFlight is at the forefront of cutting-edge autonomous eVTOL aircraft design and manufacturing. These trailblazing companies have officially marked their commitment with the signing of a ground-breaking Memorandum of Understanding, pledging to collaboratively forge an innovative AAM strategy across the region.
Mark Robert Henning, Managing Director of AutoFlight Europe said: “Our collaboration with Falcon Aviation Services, a distinguished leader in aviation excellence, is a major milestone in the advancement of Advanced Air Mobility in the UAE and the broader MENA region. Together in this strong partnership, we take pride in being able to showcase the capabilities of our innovative Prosperity passenger eVTOL and cargo CarryAll to the Emirates, spearheading a revolution in regional aerial mobility.”
Captain Raman Oberoi, Chief Operating Officer of Falcon Aviation Services said: “We are thrilled about partnering with AutoFlight, as we are an integral part of the UAE government’s AAM strategy. This partnership with AutoFlight today aligns with our dedication to delivering an effective and sustainable new urban transportation mode. With our unparalleled reputation and expertise in helicopter operations and MRO (Maintenance Repair & Overhauling) for nearly two decades, Falcon is leading the way to launch this revolutionary concept in the UAE and MENA region.”
Falcon Aviation Services provides an extensive range of Operational and Aviation Support Services, which include captivating Helicopter Sightseeing Tours from some of the UAE’s most iconic destinations, such as Atlantis Hotel, The Palm, Abu Dhabi Ports, and Expo 2020. Notably, it holds a position among the top five helicopter tour spots in the world. Currently, the company serves 70,000 sightseeing passengers annually and aims to double this number within the next three years. Additionally, Falcon Aviation Services is gearing up to introduce the first eVTOL touristic, cargo, and air-taxi flights in the region.
AutoFlight’s Prosperity aircraft is a state-of-the-art electric aircraft that employs rotor technology for vertical takeoff and seamlessly transitions into horizontal flight, akin to traditional airplanes. The aircraft is capable of speeds in excess of 200kmh, over a range greater than 250km. AutoFlight is one of only a few eVTOL OEMs to have mastered the challenging ‘transition phase’ from vertical to horizontal flight, clocking thousands of flight miles on multiple iterations of their aircraft.
Prosperity was designed by Frank Stephenson, the legendary designer who revolutionized the Mini and the Fiat 500, and created iconic designs for Ferrari, McLaren and Maserati, among many others, before turning his design talents to the skies and the realm of flying taxis.
AutoFlight has been consistently setting new benchmarks in the electric ‘Airtaxi’ landscape over the past 12 months, including establishing the world record of flying 250.3km on a single battery charge. In another milestone for the aviation industry, AutoFlight also recently successfully executed a world-first formation flight of three autonomous eVTOL aircraft.
The unmanned cargo version of Prosperity, the CarryAll is expected to achieve production and airworthiness certification from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) by early 2024, helping pave the way for certification of the passenger model. The cargo model has two metric tons maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) and is designed to lift a 400kg payload up to 200km.
AutoFlight is a vertically integrated OEM and has developed the composite airframe, electric motors, battery packs, flight controllers and cockpit avionics in-house.