Israeli eVTOL Vehicle AIR ONE Completes First Successful Flight

Israeli eVTOL firm AIR announced on Tuesday that its inaugural vehicle, AIR ONE, has successfully completed its first hover flight after receiving an airworthiness certificate.

The full-scale 868kg (1914lb) prototype took flight in the green fields of Kibbutz Meggido in northern Israel, south-east of Haifa, on Tuesday, June 21 at 7 am Israel time.

The aircraft completed multiple hovers throughout the day and the following two weeks, safely lifting off, hovering in place, and returning to the ground, performing optimally in a stable flight envelope.

The company said all of the aircraft’s systems functioned as designed, providing full control and stability. AIR ONE’s energy use during flight was exactly as predicted, demonstrating its ability to execute expected performance metrics. AIR plans to expand to full-flight envelope testing throughout 2022.

Founded by Chen Rosen and later joined by Netanel Goldberg and Rani Plaut and based in 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 for personal transportation and to seat up to two passengers, running solely on electricity. It 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. 

“It was truly awe-inspiring to watch AIR ONE lift off the ground for the first time. We’ve been on this upward journey for nearly five years and cannot wait for the public to join us on this ride,” said Rani Plaut, CEO & co-founder of AIR. “This momentous milestone secures AIR’s spot as a market leader in the personal air mobility space, making the thrill of flight achievable on a daily basis. We look forward to continued growth as we launch into the next phase of development.”

With more than 150 AIR ONE preorders already secured, AIR is continuing to accept advance orders on its website,