Kazakhstan Advances Air Taxi Plans After First Passenger Flight

Kazakhstan has taken another step toward launching autonomous air taxis after completing the country's first passenger flight aboard a pilotless electric aircraft. The demonstration flight of the Chinese-built EH216-S took place in Astana during the Games of the Future 2026. Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev became the first passenger to fly aboard the aircraft in Kazakhstan, later describing the experience as "not frightening at all." The demonstration marks the beginning of preparations for the practical deployment of urban air mobility. Initially, the aircraft are expected to operate short sightseeing flights lasting between five and 30 minutes. Their role could later expand to include emergency medical response, the delivery of medicines, wildfire support and other emergency services. Infrastructure for the new transport system is planned in Astana, Almaty and Alatau City. According to the Ministry of Transport, Kazakhstan has already adopted the core regulatory framework governing eVTOL aircraft and vertiports. Rules for unmanned air traffic management are also in place. Developed by China's Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd., the two-seat EH216-S electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft can reach speeds of up to 130 km/h and fly as far as 35 kilometers on a single charge. During the demonstration, it was operated remotely from a ground control station. Sauranbayev said confidence in the technology was reinforced by the aircraft's operational experience in China. Alongside the flight demonstrations, EHang is discussing the possible localization of aircraft production in Kazakhstan. According to the company's sales director, Darren Xiao, potential manufacturing partners include Kazakh vehicle producers Allur and QazTehna. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Alatau City, currently under construction near Almaty, is expected to become one of the first locations in Kazakhstan to introduce regular air taxi services as part of a new urban transport network.

Air Taxi Service in Kazakhstan Unlikely to Launch Commercially Before 2029

An air taxi service being developed in Kazakhstan’s Almaty Region is unlikely to begin full commercial operations before 2029, Almaty Region Governor Marat Sultangaziev said during test flights of the new transport system in Alatau, a newly established “city of the future” near Almaty. On May 19, Alatau hosted Central Asia’s first public launch of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, marking the debut of air taxi technology in the region. Developers say the electric air taxi is expected to help reduce traffic congestion, connect tourist destinations, and shorten travel times. The aircraft can reach speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour and travel distances of up to 200 kilometers on a single charge. Equipped with 13 electric motors, the air taxi is designed to carry one pilot and five passengers. In accordance with safety requirements, the first demonstration flight was conducted without passengers, the press service of the Almaty regional administration reported. Almaty Region Governor Marat Sultangaziev, who attended the launch event, described the initiative as strategically important for Kazakhstan’s transport sector. At the same time, he said the project would require infrastructure development and a comprehensive legal framework before commercial operations could begin. “Project initiators are now working on that process, and we will support them where necessary. They plan to transition from test operations to industrial-scale implementation around 2029. This initiative fully aligns with the concept of developing Alatau as a center for innovation and digitalization,” Sultangaziev said. Alisher Abdykadyrov, CEO of the Alatau City Authority state fund, said specially equipped vertiports would be used for eVTOL takeoffs and landings. The facilities would include charging and navigation systems and could be integrated into urban environments, including rooftops, transport hubs, and business districts. Construction of the first vertiport in Alatau has already begun, Abdykadyrov said, with additional facilities planned for Almaty and tourist destinations across the Almaty Region. The future network is expected to connect key transport hubs throughout the region. “Today we are witnessing a historic moment for Kazakhstan,” Abdykadyrov said. “This is not simply a demonstration of a new technology, but the beginning of a new phase in the city’s development based on innovation and digital technologies. Alatau is envisioned as a city of the future, which makes it especially symbolic that the development of air mobility and a new industry begins here.” “Our goal is not only to introduce the technology itself, but to build a complete ecosystem around it, creating infrastructure, developing engineering expertise, and generating new jobs,” he added. Regarding the legal regulation of the new mode of transport, Daniyar Uteulin, project manager at Alatau Advanced Air Group (AAAG), said the first package of regulatory proposals has already been prepared and submitted to the government for consideration. According to Uteulin, the draft regulations are based on the experience of countries where urban air mobility technologies are already developing rapidly, including the United States, China, South Korea, and several Middle Eastern countries. Kazakhstan is expected to designate a separate flight corridor...