AutoFlight has flown a prototype for its Properity eVTOL aircraft during an event held in Japan’s Okayama prefecture to promote the development of advanced air mobility (AAM) services. The flight on November 29 was conducted through a partnership with local not-for-profit group MASC, which is looking to include eVTOL vehicles in its plans for the Setouchi Community AAM Infrastructure 2028 Project.

According to MASC, the public demonstration is intended to be the first in a series of test flights in several Japanese cities. The Setouchi region spans Japan’s inland sea, connecting three of its main islands—Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu—and the organization is exploring ways to modernize transportation links.

During the course of 2024, China-based AutoFlight has conducted several demonstration flights with the Prosperity vehicle. Other flights have been conducted between Shenzhen and Zhuhai in the Pearl River Delta and across the Yangtze River near Nanjing. In May, the six-seat aircraft flew approximately 67 nm during a demonstration in Abu Dhabi.

In August, electric battery manufacturer CATL announced plans to make a strategic investment worth “hundreds of millions of dollars” in AutoFlight. In April, the company applied for Chinese type certification for the piloted Prosperity model, five weeks after the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued a type certificate for the smaller, uncrewed CarryAll eVTOL freighter.