AMSL Aero has completed the first free flight of the Vertiia, a passenger-capable, emission-free, long-range eVTOL aircraft. Since the first untethered flight, which took place earlier this month, Vertiia has taken off, flown and landed successfully more than 50 times.

The Vertiia is the most complex civil aircraft ever developed in Australia. It has been designed to fly up to 1,000km on hydrogen at a cruising speed of 300km/hour with zero carbon emissions, carrying up to four passengers and a pilot. Customers are planning commercial flights following certification and regulatory approval planned in 2027.

The test flight was performed on battery power by remote control in the Central West region of New South Wales in accordance with CASA regulations. AMSL Aero will begin hydrogen-fuelled flight testing of Vertiia in 2025, having already broken records in 2023 by completing the first tethered battery-powered hover.

This year, AMSL Aero received deposits for 26 Vertiia orders 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.

Co-founder, chief engineer and Vertiia inventor Andrew Moore says: “Watching Vertiia take to the sky in free flight was a breathtaking experience for our incredible team of engineers and me. 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.”

Chief executive Max York adds: “This marks a huge milestone on AMSL Aero’s journey and places the company on a very short list of global leaders in advanced eVTOL development. Very few aircraft companies build a full-scale aircraft and get it safely off the ground. What AMSL Aero has achieved with a small, focused team is incredible and shows what can be done when you have a clear vision and amazing talent.”