Kazakhstan Set to Launch Central Asia's First Air Taxi Service
By: WNEWS247 Editorial Staff
Published: July 25, 2026
ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan is preparing to become the first country in Central Asia to introduce an electric air taxi service, following the successful public demonstration of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the capital, Astana.
The demonstration took place on July 24 at the Kazanat Hippodrome, where the “Prosperity” eVTOL aircraft, developed by Chinese manufacturer AutoFlight, completed a test flight. The event was organized by Kazakhstan-based Alatau Advanced Air Group (AAAG) in cooperation with AutoFlight.
Kazakhstan tests its first eVTOL air taxi in Astana, aiming to launch Central Asia’s first commercial service in the smart city of Alatau by 2028-29.
The Prosperity can carry a pilot and five passengers, reaches speeds of up to 200 km/h, and covers roughly 200 km on a single charge.
According to AAAG Director of Investor Relations Daniyar Uteulin, Kazakhstan is among the first 10 countries developing and deploying air taxi technology worldwide, alongside the U.S., China, South Korea, the UAE, and several European nations, and would be the first to do so in Central Asia.
The service is planned to launch in Alatau, a new smart city being built near Almaty, where air taxi and drone infrastructure is being written into the master plan from the design stage. A constitutional law effective July 1, 2026, designated Alatau as a testing platform for such innovative transport, and Kazakhstan has also introduced legislation granting legal status to eVTOL aircraft, vertiports, and unmanned air traffic management systems.
Uteulin said commercial flights are expected to begin in late 2028 or early 2029, connecting Alatau, Almaty, and tourist destinations in the Almaty region before expanding nationwide. Pilots will be drawn from the existing pool of helicopter and fixed-wing aviators, with manufacturers providing initial training, and fares are expected to fall over time as the fleet and vertiport network grow.
Following the Astana demonstration, the Prosperity aircraft will be exhibited outside Barys Arena on July 29 and 30 during the 2026 Games of the Future.
