Xpeng AeroHT’s X3-F Aircraft Awarded Special Flight Permit in UAE

China’s low-altitude electric manned flight technology takes a crucial step in its internationalization process.

On the morning of September 10, local time, the Xpeng AeroHT X3-F aircraft was awarded a Special Flight Permit in the UAE, officially commencing manned flight tests across multiple locations in the UAE.

This marks the first Special Flight Permit for a manned aircraft obtained overseas by a Chinese flying car enterprise, signifying a crucial step in the internationalization of China’s low-altitude electric manned flight technology. This also represents Xpeng AeroHT’s return to the UAE with its latest generation product since its global debut flight in Dubai in 2022.

During the certificate presentation ceremony, Xpeng AeroHT also signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority. The collaboration will focus on areas such as flight certification for flying cars and application scenarios.

According to the agreement, leveraging the UAE’s cutting-edge policies and geographical advantages, Xpeng AeroHT will advance the exploration of application scenarios for the Land Aircraft Carrier and subsequent aviation product projects in local government transportation, flight experiences, tourism, emergency rescue, and other areas.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the product details of the X3-F aircraft.

The X3-F aircraft cockpit abandons traditional complex mechanical instrument panels in favor of a highly integrated smart large screen, making flight more visual and simplified. The company states that the X3-F supports both automatic and manual driving modes. Additionally, the autonomous flight mode enables functions such as intelligent route editing, automatic route flight, one-key takeoff/return, 3D composite vision, and landing visual assistance.

During this flight test, the X3-F demonstrated flight maneuvers such as hovering, forward flight, 360-degree rotation, left-side flight, right-side flight, and coordinated turns.

Xpeng AeroHT’s progress in the UAE is no coincidence. As early as 2022, Xpeng had already completed its global debut flight in Dubai. According to previous reports, the Xpeng AeroHT “Land Aircraft Carrier” flying car is set to complete its global debut flight in Dubai this October. The product has already received nearly 5,000 orders in the Chinese market and is scheduled for official delivery in the second half of next year.

Xpeng Motors noted that Xpeng AeroHT has undergone 12 years of technical research and development in the flying car field, invested approximately $600 million, and completed seven generations of aircraft iterations and upgrades. In the future, the company will collaborate with more countries and regions to explore low-altitude mobility application scenarios, promoting the gradual implementation of an “integrated air-ground” smart mobility model.