Israeli eVTOL Firm AIR Unveils AIR ONE Prototype at Kentucky Derby

Israeli-based eVTOL (electric vehicle take-off and landing) manufacturer, AIR, unveiled its full-scale prototype of its personal transport vehicle AIR ONE, at the Kentucky Derby this week and announced a newly established partnership with urban air mobility showroom and dealership Aeroauto. Aeroauto will assist with the commercial rollout for AIR ONE scheduled for 2024.

The Kentucky Derby horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky is the first of many stops on AIR ONE’s prototype tour. The Aeroauto showroom will display the AIR ONE and its virtual flight simulation technology in between events. As the newest addition to the AIR Brand Ambassador (ABA) program, Aeroauto will aid in establishing the requisite local infrastructure for personal EV aviation and act as a maintenance provider. The partnership will also grant AIR ONE customers access to the Aeroauto Flight Academy. 

“It is a great honor to become the world’s first specialized Urban Air Mobility Vehicle Showroom and Dealership, bringing an international manufacturer to North America as an AIR Brand Ambassador, while becoming their North American Flagship retailer for sales, service, and customer training center,” said Sean Borman, CEO of Aeroauto. “We feel that AIR’s advanced technology will be a great asset to the industry of personal transportation as a whole. The AIR ONE is an exciting addition to the US’s personal transportation market and for all the people that have been dreaming of these incredible machines for decades.”

Unlike commercial aviation, AIR’s debut eVTOL transport vehicle will give public consumers the ability to incorporate flight into their daily lives as a cleaner and time-saving alternative to driving conventional combustion engine cars. 

Founded by Chen Rosen and later joined by Netanel Goldberg and Rani Plaut and based in the green fields of Pardes Hanna, near Tel Aviv, AIR began engineering prototypes in 2017 and started to test system functionalities in 2019. According to the company, its flagship model is designed to seat up to two passengers, runs solely on electricity, and is capable of traveling 110 miles (177 km) on a single charge at speeds as high as 155 miles per hour (250 km per hour). As an eVTOL, AIR ONE has the capacity to take off from and land on any flat surface. 

The company will soon begin testing hovering capabilities and is working together with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to finalize its formal application of the G1 Certification Basis Document, a certification that sets mandatory environmental and airworthiness standards.

“It is thrilling that we were able to celebrate this milestone and unveil AIR ONE at a truly iconic event like the Kentucky Derby, with the help of Churchill Downs,” said Rani Plaut, CEO and co-founder of AIR. “Alongside our newest partner, Aeroauto, the trailblazers we met at the Derby will play a crucial role in gaining public acceptance of personal eVTOLs, propelling the entire industry forward, transforming the way we move, and adding a dose of adventure to everyday life.” 

AIR has begun accepting preorders for AIR ONE on its website.