Contributor - Asia

Jennifer Meszaros

Aerofugia is showcasing its AE200 eVTOL aircraft, at the Aero Asia show in Zhuhai, where the Chengdu-based company is highlighting its latest advances in urban and regional air mobility. The start-up is backed by China’s Geely automotive group.
Configured for two to six occupants, including the pilot, the AE200 vehicle is the backbone of the manufacturer’s push into low-altitude transportation, offering a 108-nautical mile range &nbsp;range and a cruise speed of 124 knots. After completing major structural assembly and core avionics installation, the first passenger-carrying aircraft AE200-100 was rolled out in late September and has since entered extensive verification work as part of its type certification program.
“Every component has undergone the authority's manufacturing conformity inspection, essentially reaching the highest safety standards in China,” Aerofugia brand manager Lenity Fei told AIN.
The company has accumulated significant operational data since the first urban crewed low-altitude flight last June, conducted using a leased AgustaWestland AW109 helicopter. The flights, which included routes from the European Center in Chengdu’s High-tech Zone to Qingcheng Mountain and between Tianfu and Shuangliu international airports, helped validate procedures for future eVTOL operations.
The AW109 is now being used to test flight routes for the Sichuan–Chongqing Low-Altitude Cultural Tourism Corridor. The program, which runs through 2026, is designed to improve connectivity between regional tourist destinations and evaluate the efficiency of combining sightseeing with point-to-point transport. It also gathers operational and compliance data to support the future rollout of eVTOL tourism routes.
"As the first cross-regional coordinated test flight in Sichuan and Chongqing focusing on 'low-altitude + cultural tourism', the Sichuan–Chongqing Low-Altitude Cultural Tourism Corridor event aims to systematically explore new pathways for integrating the low-altitude economy with cultural tourism, creating the first cross-provincial, systematic low-altitude cultural tourism practice model in China," Fei explained.
According to Aerofugia, it is the first company in China to begin certifying a piloted eVTOL aircraft. In May, the manufacturer clinched an air operator certificate under China’s CCAR-135 regulations for helicopter trial flights
“Currently, the first passenger-carrying eVTOL AE200-100 has entered Phase IV of the type certification process for transport-category eVTOLs in China and is carrying out compliance verification activities according to the established plan,” she said.
With the type certification process underway, Aerofugia has continued to expand its industry partnerships, including an October agreement deepening its collaboration with Siemens Digital Industries Software. The cooperation builds on work begun in 2023 using Siemens tools for software development, electrical design, simulation, and test management, and will focus on aircraft research and development, smart manufacturing, and digital operation and maintenance.
Aerofugia also counts Sichuan Airlines Group as a partner, aiming to advance integrated “civil aviation + low-altitude travel” services, and works with automotive giant Faway Group on its Smart Flexible Cabin. Meanwhile, a 100-aircraft commitment from business aviation group Sino Jet is part of more than 1,000 orders from Chinese and international partners. The reported orders span tourism groups, airlines, and service operators across the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region.
To support production and delivery, Lenity noted that Aerofugia’s global headquarters (Phase I) in Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone’s Future Science and Technology City has completed its main structure and is slated to begin operations in 2026. Once operational, the facility will integrate R&amp;D, production, testing, and delivery, enhancing capacity and efficiency for the AE200 product series and future aircraft lines.
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