Helicopter Fleet Report YE 2023

SPECIAL FEATURE
AutoFlight
Headquartered in Shanghai, AutoFlight has established research
and certification centers in Germany, operational and testing
centers in the United States, a composite material factory in
Shandong, China, and a manufacturing plant in Jiangsu, China.
In February 2023, AutoFlight’s Prosperity I eVTOL flew for 250.3
kilometers in a single-flight, and in doing so set a global record
for 2-ton-class eVTOLs. This flight record demonstrated that the
Prosperity I can cruise at a speed of 200 km/h for 250 kilometers,
laying the foundation for subsequent certification work with the
European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil
Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Meanwhile, AutoFlight’s
other self-developed cargo eVTOL, the V2000CG (Carryall), is
actively conducting validation test flights in various locations,
with the company collaborating closely with CAAC to obtain its
airworthiness certificate as soon as possible.
In the second half of the year, AutoFlight continued expanded its
presence in the mainland market, with Heli-Eastern announcing in
September its purchase of 100 Prosperity I aircraft. In December
2023, AutoFlight stated that two-thirds of the airworthiness
verification for the V2000CG had been completed.
In addition, AutoFlight announced a procurement contract with
EVFLY in March 2023, which should see the operator acquire a total
of 205 Prosperity I passenger aircraft and Carryall cargo aircraft.
42 | YE 2023 ASIA-PACIFIC CIVIL HELICOPTER FLEET REPORT