Aircraft
China's eVTOL Aircraft Start-Ups Gain Market Momentum
Government's Belt and Road Initiative could ease access
Vertaxi M1B cargo eVTOL
Vertaxi is working to bring its M1B cargo-carrying eVTOL aircraft to market.

As China’s government charts its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), the country’s advanced air mobility start-ups closed the summer with a series of milestones they say will advance electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft toward commercial operations.

Vertaxi CEO Ling Xie told AIN that 2025 has been a year of technical validation for the company’s M1B cargo eVTOL, with tests clearing the aircraft’s structure, propulsion, and flight control systems. The Shanghai-based start-up also grew its order books, inking a 100-aircraft deal with AVIC Leasing worth over $140.5 million.