AutoFlight completes cross-Yangtze River flight in latest milestone with its Prosperity eVTOL aircraft
AutoFlight has completed an inaugural cross-Yangtze River flight with its Prosperity eVTOL aircraft.
The journey, which took place yesterday (Thursday), began at the Nanjing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) base in Pukou District, Nanjing, where the aircraft took off. It flew over the Yangtze River — the longest river in Eurasia and third largest in the world — and circled along the river before returning to base.
The flight covered a distance of 25km and the flight took 10 minutes. It also marked the first cross-Yangtze River journey by an eVTOL aircraft weighing more than one ton.
As a key transportation hub on the Yangtze River, Nanjing is one of China’s major economic centres. Despite several bridges spanning the Yangtze River, the 5.5km straight-line distance between Nanjing UAV Base and Yuzui Wetland Park requires a 20km (12.4‑mile) drive which takes 25 minutes.
But with an eVTOL aircraft, this distance can be covered in just five minutes, cutting travel time by 80 per cent.
The city of Nanjing, which lies 270km (170 miles) west-northwest of Shanghai, is known for its scenic spots but also traffic congestion. During holidays, traffic delays around popular attractions can make travel 10 times slower than normal.
AutoFlight says the introduction of eVTOL aircraft offers a solution which would help ease road congestion, while providing tourists with aerial views of the historic city to enhance both convenience and the sightseeing experience.
Additionally, despite the presence of 29 central cities along the Yangtze River, many areas remain hard to reach. Cross-river flights using eVTOL aircraft would provide an efficient and convenient travel solution, transforming the Yangtze from a natural barrier into a thoroughfare.
AutoFlight’s Prosperity has a maximum take-off weight of 2,200 kg, and features a five-seat cabin design. Its ‘lift and cruise’ wing configuration allows for vertical take-off, similar to a multi-rotor aircraft or helicopter.
Once in flight mode, it transitions to fixed-wing flight for horizontal cruising. With its versatility in take-off and landing, efficiency, convenience, and environmental safety, it stands as an ideal choice for air-taxis.
The eVTOL aircraft will be utilised for point-to-point air travel within cities and intercity areas, with the objective being to ultimately offer pricing similar to ground-based car services.
Noteworthy recent achievements include setting world records for single battery charge flight distances (250.3km/155 miles) and carrying out a ground-breaking formation flight of three autonomous eVTOL aircraft.
It also completed the world’s first inter-city eVTOL air-taxi flight from Shenzhen to Zhuhai in February 2024 and achieved the first long-distance (123-km) flight of a tonne-class eVTOL in the Middle East.
AutoFlight’s CarryAll cargo aircraft obtained type certification (TC) in March 2024 from the Civil Administration Authority of China (CAAC). To date, AutoFlight has completed more than 10,000 eVTOL flights.


