Israeli aviation startup Air VEV said Wednesday it has received a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certificate for its small electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the Air One — a step that allows the company to expand test flights in Florida and move closer to delivering the aircraft to customers in 2026.
The FAA approval, granted under the new MOSAIC regulation, permits the aircraft to operate as a light sport aircraft for private recreational flights outside populated areas. AIR is the first company to obtain such certification since the rule, introduced under a Trump administration executive order to promote advanced aviation, was finalized in August.
The Air One in action
The Air One is designed to carry two passengers or transport unmanned cargo loads of up to 250 kilograms (550 pounds). It has a top speed of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph) and a maximum flight time of one hour. With a target price of around $200,000, AIR says the aircraft is positioned competitively against rivals. The company claims 2,500 customers have expressed interest in purchasing once deliveries begin.
AIR is also targeting military markets and has already won contracts with the IDF and the U.S. military, both currently in testing stages.
CEO Rani Plaut said much of the company’s effort since 2020 has gone into shaping U.S. regulations so the Air One could be registered as a sport aircraft. “We participated in committees and discussions until the rule was approved in August,” he told reporters. “That essentially means that by the end of 2026, we can deliver aircraft to private customers.”
Plaut said prototype test flights are already underway in both Israel and Florida, with FAA inspectors on-site to oversee assembly and review airworthiness. “We received airworthiness approval, we have a tail number, and we are now fully on the path toward releasing products to customers,” he said.
The Florida site will also host demonstrations for customers, partners and investors as Air Vev seeks to build momentum in the U.S. market.
The advantage of vertical takeoff aircraft is that they don’t require a runway. The wings can fold, allowing the plane to fit into a standard car parking space. Several companies are targeting this market. Plaut says the Air One stands out for the way it transitions from vertical lift to horizontal flight. While competitors rely on costly mechanisms that tilt the propellers — pushing aircraft prices into the millions and lengthening certification processes — Air Vev developed technology that enables the shift while the propellers remain fixed. Its flight-control system is designed so that users with only minimal training can operate the aircraft, eliminating the need for highly skilled pilots.
“We believe the U.S. market for selling aircraft to private individuals numbers in the hundreds of thousands each year,” Plaut said. “That opens a new niche in aviation, where instead of selling dozens or hundreds of units, you can sell thousands.”
According to Plaut, a sport pilot license requires just 15 hours of training, while an advanced license requires 35. With certification, an owner can insure the aircraft, fly it and take along a passenger.
Isn’t the target market limited to the ultra-wealthy?
“I don’t think so,” Plaut said. “We already have 2,500 registered customers. There are people today who own helicopters who are not extremely rich. There are more than 300,000 light private aircraft in the U.S. If someone wants to be in the air, they make it happen. It’s a matter of priorities — and in the U.S., financing options are very good. For perspective, about 20 million cars are sold in the U.S. each year. If I sell 500 aircraft annually, I become the largest aviation company in the U.S. and the world. But compared with 20 million cars, that number looks tiny.”
Remote support for combat forces
Alongside its civilian sport aviation market, Air Vev is continuing trials and demonstrations of unmanned logistics flights, including nighttime missions and flights beyond visual line of sight — profiles considered higher risk and requiring special licenses. The company has joined the U.S. Air Force’s Agility Prime program and will deliver 15 eVTOL aircraft over the coming year for remotely operated missions.
Air Vev is also working with the IDF. Last year, it was announced that the company would supply similar aircraft for logistical use, with the Defense Ministry's technology directorate testing them for passenger transport and aerial resupply of forces operating deep in the field — all via remote piloting. “The Defense Ministry bought a double-digit number of these aircraft,” said Plaut. “One has already been delivered, and the rest will begin arriving this year.”
Will the aircraft remain limited to logistics, or could they take on operational missions?
“It starts with logistics. First customers in the U.S., Israel and elsewhere — we’re in talks with three or four more countries — always begin with logistics because it’s simplest. But discussions are advancing on broader uses. For example, the U.S. has a loyal wingman program where a fighter jet is accompanied by two remotely operated drones that expand its capabilities while the pilot makes real-time decisions. We could do the same thing, but with a combat helicopter.”
And what about flying taxis — autonomous air vehicles carrying passengers without pilots? Israel’s Transport Ministry and Innovation Authority are already running pilot projects.
“I don’t believe in it. We are very far from something like that. In the end, the regulator must sign off and take responsibility. And who will insure it? Anyone reasonable would want to see the aircraft flying for 10 years, 100,000 hours and look at the statistics before approving it. These things won’t be flying alone in the skies anytime soon — certainly not with people who can’t control them.”
Air Vev was founded in 2018 by CTO Chen Rosen, CEO Rani Plaut and Avionics Head Netanel Goldberg. The company has raised about $30 million, including $23 million in a Series A round led by Israeli fund Entrée Capital, with participation from angel investor Shmuel Harlap, owner of car importer Colmobil. The company employs around 50 people, 45 of them in Israel, with facilities in Kfar Yona and a U.S. operations hub in Florida.