Domestic flying cars are rapidly entering the public eye.
```
Author | Chai Xuchen
Editor | Wang Xiaojuan
Dunhuang, a "super IP" with rich cultural and tourism resources such as desert Gobi, Yardang landforms, and Mogao Caves, has become the commercial test field for Xiaopeng's flying cars.
On October 28, accompanied by the buzzing of rotors, HT Aero's "Land Aircraft Carrier" split-type flying car soared into the air, completing its first flight in Northwest China. After the maiden flight, HT Aero and Dunhuang officially announced the opening of the Northwest’s first low-altitude self-driving tourism route.
For HT Aero, Dunhuang’s “flight to the heavens” is not just a blend of technology and the poetic “faraway,” but a key step in bringing flying cars into the public eye.
According to reports, the route provides a three-dimensional tourism network of “air corridor + ground experience,” precisely targeting the high-end cultural tourism market. The journey starts at Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring, connecting Crescent Spring Town, Optoelectronic Expo Park, Yangguan and Yumen Pass, and finally reaching the Yardang World Geopark.
HT Aero is not fighting alone. In this collaboration, the Dunhuang municipal government provided policy and scenario support. At the same time, HT Aero signed flying camp cooperation intention agreements and the first batch of 200 flying car procurement contracts with five companies: Hangzhou Gaozhi General Aviation, Gansu Wanhua Industrial Group, Dunhuang Cultural Tourism Group, Dunhuang Feitian General Aviation, and Dunhuang Airport Economic Development.
These five companies constructed a complete ecosystem from aviation hubs and low-altitude operations to ground-level cultural tourism services. To ensure operation, five exclusive flying camps will be planned and constructed along the route, with trial operations scheduled by July 2026.
This means that next year, everyone will be able to experience the transition from “self-drive tours” to “self-flying.”
Just as new energy vehicles have disrupted the industry, after aviation becomes electrified, change follows. The emergence of electric flying vehicles (eVTOL) provides solutions to the cost issues that previously limited the commercialization of low-altitude transport. The era where everyone can fly, and at an affordable price—like “flying Didi”—seems imminent.
HT Aero’s “open scheme” is to enter through the “big toy” sector, letting people “play in the wild” first. The core supporting the “Dunhuang Model” is the “Land Aircraft Carrier,” slated for mass production and delivery in 2026.
HT Aero’s flying car intelligent manufacturing base is now completed. Founder Zhao Deli told Wallstreet.cn that the first batch of equipment has started commissioning, and currently one flying vehicle can roll off the line per hour. With the second batch of equipment, that will drop to 30 minutes; annual capacity could reach 10,000 units.
In China's eVTOL industry, HT Aero already seems to have unicorn potential. “After the first-generation product is delivered, our volume may be the largest,” said Zhao Deli.
With the signing of the Dunhuang 200-unit “Land Aircraft Carrier” procurement contract, along with the record-breaking 600-unit order from the Middle East two weeks ago, HT Aero is pulling the trillion-level “low-altitude economy” from concept to the brink of commercialization.
However, successful commercialization of eVTOL requires more than just building the aircraft; airworthiness certification is the prerequisite. According to regulations, civil aviation airworthiness qualification involves design approval (TC), production approval (PC), and airworthiness approval (AC). The “Land Aircraft Carrier” is aiming for the most critical and challenging TC certification.
Zhao Deli stated that after obtaining the domestic TC certification, HT Aero will simultaneously pursue overseas airworthiness certification, as half their future orders are planned to be international.
Dunhuang’s cultural tourism flights and Dubai’s “luxury toys” solve the need for “play”—that’s HT Aero’s first step. But it’s just the tip of their ambitions.
In China, the low-altitude economy is widely seen as a trillion-yuan blue ocean. Data show its market size is estimated at 3.2 times that of high-altitude aviation; China’s civil aviation high-altitude transport economic scale is 17 trillion yuan, implying low-altitude economy could reach 50 trillion yuan.
Few industries in China have such scale and growth potential, which could be an opportunity for HT Aero and other Chinese players to catch up or surpass. “In the global consumer market, there are 90 million cars sold each year, and over a million high-end cars annually. China has plenty of wealthy consumers,” said Zhao Deli.
Faced with such a huge market, HT Aero’s strategy is clear—a “two-step” or “dual-track” approach.
Step one: use the “Land Aircraft Carrier” to enter the personal flight and short-range sightseeing market. Zhao Deli made it clear: they will earn money by selling the “Land Aircraft Carrier,” aiming for 10,000 units a year and 10 billion yuan in revenue, while using this to “reserve tilt-rotor technology.”
Step two: target the “air taxi” market with a long-range commuting flying vehicle. This is the ultimate goal for intercity travel. HT Aero is developing a high-speed, long-range flying car codenamed A868, internally called the “Air Alpha.” It is designed to carry 6 people, have over 500 km of range, and go faster than 360 km/h.
Clearly, HT Aero doesn’t just want to make “toys for the rich,” but hopes to become a critical node in the future three-dimensional mobility network.
The vision for the future is sown, but in reality, flying cars combine both aviation and automotive industries, making their supply chains far more complex than a single sector. Finding a balance between “aviation-grade precision” and “automobile-grade efficiency,” and building a stable, reliable, and cost-controllable supply chain, will be a key problem that HT Aero must solve.
Zhao Deli told Wallstreet.cn that flying vehicles will also have “platforms” similar to those in the auto industry, reusing technologies to greatly improve R&D efficiency. Zhao Deli admitted that platformization is a strong barrier for HT Aero.
On the other hand, flying cars are still a relatively distant and novel concept for ordinary people. How to convince the public of the absolute safety of “cars” flying overhead, and whether prices can be reduced to trigger mass-market adoption, are problems the entire industry will need to solve over the long term with extensive investment.
But there is no denying that Dunhuang’s rotors have stirred the sky that has been silent for a thousand years. With the completion of Guangzhou’s “10,000-unit-level” factory, a technology-driven “era of personal aviation” is quickly moving from dream to reality.
Risk Warning and DisclaimerThe market has risks; investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice, nor does it take into account individual users' specific investment goals, financial status, or needs. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. Investment based on this is at your own risk. ```