AIR ONE eVTOL completes first full transition flight to cruise

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer AIR has shared its latest breakthrough in bringing a consumer-level electric aircraft to reality. The company has shared video footage of its flagship AIR ONE eVTOL successfully taking off, hovering, then transitioning to cruise mode. Check out the video below.

AIR is an electric aviation company that has been working to bring a personal eVTOL to the consumer market since 2017. Founded near Tel Aviv, Israel, AIR delivered its biggest milestone to date back in Q2 of this year, when it demonstrated its first hover flight with full-scale version of the ONE eVTOL.

Now, that same electric aviation vehicle has completed its first successful forward flight, transitioning from a mere hover to cruise model, all while being loaded to full capacity. AIR captured video footage of its latest eVTOL flight milestone we have shared as well.

AIR shares minute-long vid of ONE eVTOL cruising high

Accompanying the video below was a press release from AIR, detailing the eVTOL’s successful flight, which took place the afternoon of December 18 in Israel. The aircraft was loaded to its full capacity of 2,425lb (1100kg), before it took off and transitioned to nominal cruising speed.

With the first cruise out of the way, the company intends to log thousands more flight hours as the team looks to obtain FAA certification for the ONE eVTOL. Simultaneously, the AIR team will use the upcoming flights to maximize range, speed, and endurance of the aerial vehicle. AIR CEO and cofounder Rani Plaut spoke:

It is thrilling to have reached this moment in our journey as we strive to build the foundation to make personal air mobility a reality. AIR is incredibly proud to play a role in the global AAM movement and we’re looking forward and upward to 2024 when adoption of privately-owned eVTOLs takes flight.

Following this successful eVTOL flight overseas, AIR says that it intends to move a majority of its R&D to the US, where it can more easily continue collaboration with the FAA. The company is planning full-scaled flights with a human passenger in Q1 of 2023, followed by an official certification prototype of the eVTOL by Q3.

AIR currently has over 260 pre-orders ($1,000 down) for the AIR ONE, which starts at a base price of $150,000. Pending air certification, first customer deliveries are expected in late 2024. As promised, here’s the latest flight footage.