Meet SKYLAR
In a win for both Volant Aerotech and Zigong City, the first VE25-100 prototype officially rolled off the production line on May 23.
As anticipated, Volant Aerotech has officially announced the rollout of its first VE25-100 prototype, designated AC101, at the Zigong Aviation Industrial Park.
While the press release offered no new images of the aircraft, the company used the occasion to announce the VE25-100’s official commercial name: “天行” (Tianxing), with the English branding “SKYLAR.”
The AC101 is Volant’s first prototype off the production line, developed under a fully airworthiness-compliant system and using certifiable materials and components throughout, the company said.
Its rollout comes just two years after the debut of the company’s full-scale verification aircraft, X1.
Since then, Volant says it has completed a full transition flight and convened its first Type Certification Team (TCT) meeting.
As of April 2025, both the G-1 certification basis and the Project Specific Certification Plan (PSCP) have been formally approved—key milestones on the path toward full airworthiness certification.
According to Volant, flight testing of AC101 will proceed in the months ahead, focusing on safety, reliability, and operational performance in preparation for scaled production. Video: Zigong News Network
In the company’s press release, Volant CEO Dong Ming attributed the rapid progress to close collaboration with shareholders, key suppliers, and strong support from local governments in both Shanghai and Zigong.
He emphasized that the next two years will be crucial, as the company focuses on finalizing the aircraft’s design, conducting extensive flight testing, and completing the certification process in preparation for commercial deliveries.
The AC101 prototype integrates components from several core suppliers, including:
Zhuhai Linghang Composite Materials Technology Co., Ltd.
[珠海领航复合材料科技有限公司 (AVIC subsidiary) – Airframe structureAnhui Huaming Avionics System Co., Ltd [安徽华明航电] – Avionics
Shenzhen Lightfast World Technology Co., Ltd.
[深圳轻快世界科技有限公司] (AVIC subsidiary) – Power systemsBoundary.AI [深圳边界智控] – Flight control systems
Tianjin Santroll Electric Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. (天津松正电动汽车技术股份有限公司) – Electric propulsion systems
Other key partners include China Southern Airlines General Aviation, whose collaboration with Volant began in 2022.
Reaffirmed at the event, the partnership has progressed from signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly publishing a Passenger eVTOL Application & Market White Paper and placing confirmed orders.
The paper lays out a three-stage development model for China's eVTOL passenger market, among other key insights.
Three-stage development model—
Stage One: The initial phase focuses on applications like short-distance scheduled passenger flights, corporate charters, air medical services, and sightseeing flights. During this stage, key challenges such as air traffic control systems, infrastructure, and public acceptance will need to be addressed.
Stage Two: As the market matures, the widespread use of urban “air taxis” is expected to become a reality, providing a new mode of transport in crowded cities.
Stage Three: In the final stage, eVTOLs will enter the private market on a large scale, driven by advances in autonomous flight technology, improved air traffic management systems, and reduced production costs.
Meanwhile, investment firm Legend Capital Management Co., Ltd. (君联资本) reiterated its commitment at the event to supporting the development of an integrated industrial chain focused on advancing low-altitude flight in the region.
The VE25-100 carries one pilot and five passengers, featuring a wingspan of 16 meters (52 feet), a fuselage length of 9.5 meters (31 feet), and a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 2.5 tons (5,512 pounds).
It offers a range between 200 and 400 kilometers (124 to 249 miles) and cruises at a speed of 235 km/h (146 mph).
According to the manufacturer, the VE25-100’s compound-wing configuration offers advantages in energy efficiency, range, and operating costs, making it well-suited for urban air mobility, regional travel, emergency services, and cargo transport.
Author’s note — For more information on China’s eVTOL aircraft, see Part 1 of the Chinese eVTOL Aircraft Directory in the May/June 2025 issue of Vertiflite, published by the Vertical Flight Society.
The May 23 rollout of SKYLAR marks the debut of the first eVTOL aircraft manufactured in Zigong.
The milestone follows a November 2023 agreement between Volant and the Zigong Municipal People’s Government to establish the Volant eVTOL Intelligent Manufacturing Base, currently under construction in two phases within the Zigong Aviation Industrial Park.
Plans for the park include strengthening the industrial chain, expanding application scenarios, and enhancing operational support.
For its part, Zigong is positioning itself as a key hub in China’s low-altitude economy sector, in line with provincial goals to accelerate the development of the western low-altitude economic zone.
The city aims to build a distinctive demonstration zone by attracting investment, scaling industrial capacity, and expanding commercial applications.
The Zigong Aviation Industrial Park serves as a central platform for these efforts, concentrating policy support, funding, technical resources, and skilled labor.
Designated as part of national and provincial-level advanced manufacturing clusters, the park is home to China’s largest industrial base for large and medium-sized UAVs.
As Zigong’s first commercial passenger-grade aircraft, the VE25-100 is expected to achieve an annual production capacity of 300 units, with a projected output value exceeding 7.5 billion yuan once full-scale manufacturing begins, according to Chinese media.
What's in a Name?
Volant states that the name “天行” reflects both the aircraft’s functional purpose and its aspirational role as a “guardian of the sky” (天空守护者).
It also embodies the company’s ethos of perseverance, drawing from the classical Chinese idiom “天行健君子以自强不息” (Tiān xíng jiàn jūnzǐ yǐ zì qiáng bù xī), which translates to “As heaven moves with vigor, a noble person ceaselessly strives for self-improvement.”
Rooted in Classical Chinese philosophy—particularly the I Ching (Book of Changes)—while resonating with Confucian ideals of moral perseverance, the phrase can be interpreted as expressing Volant’s gratitude for societal support and its mission to harmonize natural dynamism with human innovation, aiming to bring eVTOL technology into mainstream use.
Overall, the interplay of techno-patriotism and Confucian principles often appears as a recurring theme in Chinese corporate communications, especially within high-tech industries like aviation.
By invoking classical idioms such as “天行健，君子以自强不息,” one can interpret Volant as aligning its technological ambitions with cultural heritage and national progress, framing innovation as both a moral duty (self-improvement) and a collective endeavor (societal gratitude).
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