Kazakhstan is entering a new stage in the development of Urban Air Mobility (UAM). At the end of May, Alatau Advance Air Group plans to conduct the country’s first demonstration flight of an air taxi based on an eVTOL — an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. The company shared this information in an interview with Kursiv, according to “Adyrna.”
According to company representatives, on May 8, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a law granting special status to the city of Alatau. This creates the legal foundation for establishing a special regulatory framework for the city.
As a result, Alatau is being considered a unique platform for Urban Air Mobility (UAM), since the new city allows infrastructure to be planned entirely from scratch.
The project may include:
* vertiports (take-off and landing sites)
* air corridors
* a digital low-altitude traffic management system
* integration with Smart City infrastructure
* routes between transportation hubs
Experts say this approach will make it possible to introduce a new transportation system more quickly.
Pilot routes are expected to launch in the Almaty agglomeration in 2026. According to Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, air transport will operate across Almaty, Alatau, and the Almaty region at speeds of 320–340 km/h.
For example, it may take only 10–12 minutes to travel from Almaty to Medeu.
Starting in 2026, Kazakhstan plans to begin construction of a network of vertiports. The project will be implemented by Alatau Advance Air Group together with international partners — UrbanV from Italy and Korea Airports Corporation from South Korea.
Planned aircraft models include:
* AutoFlight eVTOL (China) — test flights scheduled for 2026
* speed: 200 km/h
* capacity: 4 passengers + pilot
* range: 250 km
* Joby Aviation S4 (USA) — deliveries expected from 2028
* capacity: 4 passengers + pilot
* range: 160–241 km
* speed: up to 320 km/h
All initial test flights will be conducted without passengers.
Experts note that the eVTOL market is still in its early stages. Therefore, countries that adopt legislation and infrastructure early may gain a significant advantage.
For Kazakhstan, this represents an opportunity to become Central Asia’s first regulatory hub for Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
It is also worth noting that in November 2025, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Digital Development, Joby Aviation, Alatau Advance Air Group, and entrepreneur Vyacheslav Kim signed a memorandum on creating an air taxi system worth approximately $300 million.
