Skyfly completes Europe's first eVTOL airfield-to-airfield flight

British startup Skyfly Technologies says it has successful completed Europe’s first airfield-to-airfield flight of a fully electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The milestone flight was performed over the weekend by Skyfly’s Chief Technical Officer and test pilot, Dr William Brooks, who piloted the Axe prototype — classified as a ‘Vertically Capable Aircraft’ — from Turweston Aerodrome in Northamptonshire to Bicester Airfield in Oxfordshire, and back again.

This historic round-trip flight marks the end of the conventional phase of Skyfly’s test programme, which has focused on validating the aircraft’s airframe and control systems in wing-borne flight.

“The aircraft performed very well,” said Bill Brooks after the flight. “It has a gentle feel in turbulence, giving the impression of more span because of the motor masses at the tips. The comfort, outstanding view and lack of noise make for enjoyable flying.

“The outbound leg of 10nm took 12 minutes cruising at the lowest cruise power setting of around 57kw. The maximum speed was 71kt. The return trip took 8 minutes.

“Upon returning to Turweston, we climbed to 3500ft to get some high altitude photography around the broken clouds and to drain the batteries down to a safe transport state of charge for the upcoming trip to America.”

Skyfly CEO Michael Thompson added, “The weekend’s flight represents a major step forward — not just for Skyfly, but for British and European aviation. Our programme has progressed with remarkable consistency. We’ve refined some aerodynamic aspects of the canard wing, but the fundamental design has proven solid from day one.”

Following successful hover tests in 2024, Skyfly received UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) clearance to proceed with airborne transitions between vertical and wing-borne flight. With that regulatory milestone achieved, Skyfly’s development programme will now shift to testing the full transition phase.

Skyfly is concurrently building its next Axe prototype, which will conform to the final production design.

UPDATE: The CAA has asked us to clarify its involvement:

• Skyfly operates under eConditions – where we delegate authority to a ‘suitably qualified person’ – in this case an engineer recognised by the RAeS
• The CAA issued an exemption to the pilot to fly the aircraft
• A ferry permit was issued by the CAA for the flight from Turweston to Bicester

The Axe features eight electric motors — two on each wingtip enclosed in a single nacelle — powered by high-capacity lithium batteries housed within the fuselage. These batteries are swappable and removable for convenient charging.

Built to certified aircraft standards but offered under the UK’s Permit to Fly category and the US Experimental category, the Axe balances high-end engineering with affordability, reducing both operational and purchase costs for owners.

With 40 units sold to date, Skyfly is targeting the end of Q2 2026 for its first customer deliveries.

Next on the company’s agenda is a public showcase of the Axe prototype at the world’s largest general aviation event, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, taking place 21–27 July 2025 in Wisconsin, USA. The show attracts over 500,000 visitors and 10,000 aircraft each year.

“I’m incredibly excited to take our aircraft to Oshkosh,” said Thompson. “It’s a milestone moment for Skyfly, and we’re proud to be flying the Axe into the show, assuming we receive our experimental permit in time.

“Demonstrating the aircraft in flight, not just as a static display, will show the world just how far we’ve come.”

Skyfly Technologies