Author Announcement: Leadership Forum
Some housekeeping.
I’m happy to announce that I’ll be joining the NexAvian Leadership Dialogue × Albatross.Ai Open House in Shanghai on April 20.
The event is hosted by NexAvian (a Singapore-based consultancy that connects ecosystems in Advanced Air Mobility) and Albatross.ai (a Tianjin-based aviation tech company focused on autonomous avionics for the low‑altitude economy).
NexAvian, led by former Volocopter China Head Emerson Xu, along with COO and co-founder Nick Fragassi, is active across strategic advisory services, executive engagement, and industry forums supporting advanced air mobility ecosystem development.
The firm recently hosted a Regional AAM Forum at the Singapore Airshow 2026 and counts TCab Tech and Seaplane Asia Group among its partners.
Albatross.AI, led by founder and CEO Dr. Martin Ding and co-founder and CMO Sabrina Li, is developing its flagship Autonomous Flight Assistance System (AFAS) to support the safe integration of crewed and uncrewed aircraft in dense low-altitude environments.
AFAS operates across multiple layers of decision-making—combining real-time onboard sensing, air-to-air coordination, and integration with low-altitude traffic management systems—to facilitate self-separation, conflict detection, and contingency management in increasingly complex airspace operations.
Last month, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) accepted Albatross.AI’s CTSO-C211 airworthiness application for its Detect and Avoid (DAA) system.
The forum is an invitation-only gathering focused on China’s low-altitude economy and how companies are approaching expansion into international markets, including the Asia-Pacific region.
Talks will center on practical considerations—regulation, operations, infrastructure, and how organizations present themselves to global stakeholders.
I look forward to an evening of discussion, exchange, and connecting with Chinese eVTOL manufacturers, government representatives, and other industry stakeholders.
A big thank you to NexAvian and Albatross.Ai for the kind invitation!
A Conversation with Sara Mao — Founder of PIAviation
Earlier last week, I sat down with Sara Mao, founder of PIAviation, to discuss a less visible—but critical—gap in China’s general aviation sector.
While policy support and investment continue to accelerate the low-altitude economy, Mao’s view is that the main constraint is not aircraft or infrastructure, but the lack of an integrated operational layer.
Today, training, flight operations, and pilot records largely exist in silos, with limited interoperability and heavy reliance on manual processes.
Her argument is straightforward —: without a system that connects flight planning, training records, operational workflows, and pilot data, the sector remains fragmented—and difficult to scale.
PIAviation is working to address this by building a structured platform that links these elements into a continuous workflow. The approach focuses on connecting existing data rather than owning it, allowing pilots and institutions to retain control while enabling verified, portable records across the ecosystem.
My interview with Mao, “China’s GA Growth Stalled By Data Fragmentation, Startup Cautions,” is published in Aviation Week.
Catching Up with Peter He — CEO of Vision Aero
I also had an opportunity to catch up with Peter He, founder and CEO of Vision Aero, late last month for an interview.
The discussion covered the company’s approach to advanced air mobility (AAM), shaped by operational experience in U.S. general aviation and a focus on real-world mission requirements.
Vision Aero is developing two parallel platforms — the Vector 5 eVTOL and the Vector 11 hybrid-electric fixed-wing aircraft.
The Vector 5 is positioned around established use cases such as emergency medical services, rescue, and short-range transport, with both fully electric and range-extended variants under development.
The Vector 11 expands into regional and inter-island operations, targeting improved efficiency and lower operating costs through hybrid-electric propulsion.
The full article, “Vision Aero Advances Dual Aircraft Programs with EMS Focus,” is available in Aviation Week.
A big thank you to Aviation Week for supporting my work!
Lastly, I would like to thank both my current and new subscribers for following China eVTOL News. Your paid support makes it possible to continue coverage and maintain consistent reporting.
China eVTOL News is positioned as a structured tracker for developments in China’s eVTOL sector, helping readers stay oriented as the market evolves—and helping avoid the occasional confusion that can come from interpreting fast-moving milestones in isolation.
In a field where multiple programs are advancing in parallel, context matters as much as individual announcements.
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Stay curious, keep watching the skies — and thank you for supporting independent news.
— Jennifer