Self-Flying Air Taxi took off in Kigali

On 3 September 2025, the first self-flying air taxi took off in Kigali. The pilotless electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft—developed by the Chinese company EHang Holdings Limited—completed a demonstration flight as part of the Aviation Africa Summit.

“This is more than just a demonstration. It is a glimpse into how Rwanda envisions its cities and economy: connected, efficient, and sustainable,” said Jimmy Gasore, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure.

The partnership with the air taxi producer EHang highlights Rwanda’s ambition. The country wants to become a leader in Advanced Air Mobility. And it wants to explore innovative solutions to urban congestion, carbon emissions, and sustainable transportation challenges.

First cargo-drone, now air taxi – the “Proof-of-Concept Country”

However, this incident also highlights the opportunities Rwanda offers to international companies. Already in 2016 the US-based company ZIPLINE has launched the first cargo-drone line in the world. After the testing and development phase in Rwanda, ZIPLINE’s products and services were rolled out to other countries around the world. Now something similar could happen to EHang’s air taxi.

A great opportunity has arisen for innovative companies. Rwanda has positioned itself as a Proof-of-Concept Country, offering companies a clear value proposition:

• Proactive governmental support and access to local markets for testing and validating innovative technologies and business models,
  in exchange for
• Meaningful contributions to the country’s economic development.

Wouldn’t that be an attractive offer in the current gloomy economic situation for German-speaking companies, or indeed for European companies in general, which are now seeking to catch up with the innovative developments in the USA and China?