Kazakhstan is taking a leap into the future of urban mobility. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, U.S.-based Joby Aero, Inc., Alatau Advance Air Group Ltd., and entrepreneur Vyacheslav Kim have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the purchase of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft worth about $300 million.
The cutting-edge aircraft will form the foundation of the country’s first urban air mobility system, to be developed in the new city of Alatau. The project includes establishing a testing site for certification and demonstration flights, as well as integrating air taxis into the transport networks of Alatau and Almaty.
“Kazakhstan is taking a step into the future of innovative transportation. The purchase of electric eVTOL aircraft will mark an important milestone in the development of smart cities and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies. This initiative will contribute to the growth of Alatau City as a unique hub of advanced technologies of the future,” said Zhaslan Madiyev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Joby Aero is a global leader in eVTOL aviation and the developer of certified electric air taxis. Vyacheslav Kim, Chairman of the Board of Kaspi.kz, is the project’s investor, while Alatau Advance Air Group will operate and integrate air mobility technologies in Kazakhstan.
Source: AI and Digital Ministry
