FlyNow’s eCopter Aims to be Personal Helicopter That Takes City Travel to the Next Level

Salzburg’s FlyNow Aviation is about to revolutionize city mobility with its eCopter, a personal electric helicopter that took to the skies for the first time just last month at a new test site in Eastern Austria. Moving from tethered tests at Salzburg Airport, this practical, dual-rotor machine is a cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative for cargo and passenger transport, possibly as cheap as a taxi.

The eCopter’s coaxial rotor system with two counter-rotating rotors eliminates the need for a tail rotor, thus reducing weight as well as complexity. It’s powered by four independent electric motors, which ensure redundancy even if one motor fails.

With a top speed of 80 mph and 31 miles range on a 30-minute charge, the eCopter consumes 30 kWh per 100 km. At 150 meters, it’s as quiet as a dishwasher (55 dB), perfect for urban areas. The cargo version (C200B) carries 441 pounds, while single- (P1B) and two-seater (P2B) models, all on the same airframe, keep production costs low, or up to 10 times cheaper than competitors.

The eCopter flies pre-programmed routes, guided by air traffic management and onboard sensors. This means it has the ability to dodge obstacles like birds or even other helicopters, whilst landing on small 10×10-meter rooftop pads. This “automatic” system uses existing EASA rules (CS-27, CS-VLR), with SAIL II certification achieved in 2022 and SAIL IV targeted for commercial cargo by 2027.

FlyNow’s roadmap prioritizes cargo flights in 2027, aiming for 1 million kilometers to prove reliability before passenger services in 2028. Affordable fares, enabled by low-cost production, target urban commuters, with test flights planned for Saudi Arabia and the UAE in 2025 and thousands of eCopters for Riyadh’s Expo 2030.

Beyond commutes, the eCopter could deliver medical supplies or serve in firefighting and rescue missions. Partners like Skyroads in the SALAAM.earth alliance support a networked urban transport vision, with a Saudi Arabia office planned. FlyNow’s “intelligent simplicity” philosophy means scalable, sustainable solutions.

The eCopter is a no-brainer in the urban air mobility game. It flew in June 2025 and now it can take off, a quieter, more eco-friendly way to get around cities. Now FlyNow is gearing up for production and this tiny helicopter could change urban travel.
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