AutoFlight continues its global expansion and sets up its first location in Europe. A team led by former Airbus manager Mark R. Henning is now ramping up at Augsburg Airport in Germany.
The team’s first task is to achieve European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for airtaxi ‘Prosperity I’, an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a range of 250kms.
It can comfortably seat up to three passengers in addition to the pilot. The certification program for this airtaxi will begin this year, with completion expected by 2025.
AutoFlight’s team to set up at R&D and certification center
A dedicated and growing team will work at the R&D and certification center in Augsburg.
AutoFlight plans to establish additional locations for demonstration flights. ‘Prosperity I’ is the company’s first manned aircraft. Previously, their focus was on unmanned cargo drones.
Mr. Tian Yu, AutoFlight’s founder, Chairman and CEO made the following remarks.
“I am delighted to share that Mark Henning is joining AutoFlight in Europe to build our ‘Prosperity I’ airtaxi according to EASA safety standards.”
Safety is always AutoFlight’s top commitment. The company is dedicated to making its airtaxi ‘Prosperity I’ as safe as a commercial airliner, and will work closely with European authorities.
AutoFlight’s Mark Henning bolstering work experience
In January 2022, Mark Henning took on the position as Managing Director at AutoFlight Europe, which based in Augsburg/Germany. The aeronautical engineer and graduate of Munich’s Technical University has worked in the aviation industry for 26 years.
Mr. Henning started his career at DASA and held leadership positions at EADS and Eurocopter.
He was Manager for Government Business at the helicopter division of Airbus and head of product EC135. He also held positions in program management, strategy, production and development and has worked for the Airbus Group in Indonesia, S.Korea, Israel, S.A and US.
Mark Henning was excited to get on AutoFlight’s airtaxi ‘Prosperity I’ project.
“We are bringing aircraft construction back to Augsburg, creating a high-tech location and jobs as we build drones and create a completely new market segment for airtaxis.”
“What I really like about AutoFlight and ‘Prosperity I’ is the underlying simple concept. Simplicity translates into safety and efficiency.”
The simplicity of AutoFlight’s design is the socalled ‘lift and cruise’ – configuration. It combines superior range and safety with low technical complexity, making it affordable.
AutoFlight is one of the earliest tech companies in China to make autonomous eVTOL, including large payload logistics and autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Logistics UAVs were introduced first. AutoFlight completed more than 10,000 takeoffs and landings in adverse weather conditions. The company is now ready to build its people carrier ‘Prosperity I’ and will show the progress made in its transition tests in a few weeks.
