Australia’s first passenger-capable, emission-free, long-range electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft has taken to the skies.
New South Wales-based AMSL Aero completed the first free flight of its Vertiia aircraft in the central west region of the state this month.
AMSL Aero Co-Founder, Chief Engineer and Vertiia inventor Andrew Moore said the flight was the first by an Australian-designed and built eVTOL.
Mr Moore said eVTOLs were the new generation of aircraft that took off and landed like a helicopter, but flew fast and smoothly like a fixed-wing aeroplane.
He said since the first untethered flight, which took place earlier this month, Vertiia had taken off, flown and landed successfully more than 50 times.
“Vertiia is the most complex civil aircraft ever developed in Australia.
“It has been designed to fly up to 1000km on hydrogen at a cruising speed of 300km/h with zero carbon emissions, carrying up to four passengers and a pilot.”
Mr Moore said customers were planning commercial flights following certification and regulatory approval planned in 2027.
He said the test flight was performed on battery power by remote control in accordance with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations.
“AMSL Aero will begin hydrogen-fuelled flight testing of Vertiia in 2025.”
Mr Moore said 26 Vertiia aircraft had already been ordered from civil customers including 20 from Aviation Logistics, which operates the Air Link, AirMed and Chartair brands covering passenger services, aircraft charter, air freight and aeromedical flights across Australia.
“This landmark is proof that the design we pioneered seven years ago works, and it moves us closer to our goal of improving the lives of remote, rural and regional communities in Australia and around the world with an aircraft that conquers the tyranny of distance with zero emissions.”
