One seat or five? At #CIIE2026 in Shanghai, the aircraft on display range from a single-seater to Vertaxi‘s M1, a five-seat electric air taxi designed to fly at a cruising speed of 200 km/h.
Developers see uses beyond the commute, including intercity travel, rescue missions and firefighting. If an air taxi served your city, which route would you want it to fly first?
A single cream-colored seat is visible inside a compact aircraft at the HRC booth at the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, November 6, 2026. /CGTN
Vertaxi’s five-seat M1 electric air taxi sits with its cabin doors open at the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, November 6, 2026. /CGTN
Red seat harnesses are visible through the canopy of a black aircraft at the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, November 6, 2026. /CGTN
A silver-and-blue aircraft with overhead rotors and landing skids is on display at the Seagull Flying Car booth at the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, November 6, 2026. /CGTN
A front view of Vertaxi’s M1 shows its curved windshield above a floor display depicting a city at the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, November 6, 2026. /CGTN
A CoolFly flight simulator features an open cockpit, a screen and a motion platform at the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, November 6, 2026. /CGTN