Eve Air Mobility has reached a major programme milestone with the successful first flight of its uncrewed, full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) prototype. Conducted on 19 December 2025 at Embraer’s test facility in Gavião Peixoto, São Paulo state, the flight marks the formal start of Eve’s flight test phase and a significant step towards certification.

The inaugural hover flight confirmed the integration of the aircraft’s key systems, including its fifth-generation fly-by-wire controls and fixed-pitch lifter rotors. Following this initial success, Eve plans to conduct multiple flights, gradually expanding the flight envelope and progressing towards full wingborne flight throughout 2026.

“Today, Eve flew. This is a historical milestone for our employees, customers, investors and the entire ecosystem,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve Air Mobility. He noted that the flight validated the company’s execution plan and enabled the capture of high-fidelity data to support a safe and confident progression along the certification path.

As part of its certification strategy, Eve will manufacture six conforming prototypes to support an extensive flight test campaign. The company continues to work closely with Brazil’s Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), its primary certifying authority, while advancing preparations for certification. Looking ahead, Eve expects type certification, first deliveries and entry into service in 2027.

According to Eve’s Chief Technology Officer, Luiz Valentini, the flight allowed the team to exercise control laws, verify the integration of the eight lifters and assess energy management, dynamic response and noise footprint. He confirmed that the prototype behaved as predicted by the company’s models and that the data collected will support a disciplined expansion of the flight envelope. Hundreds of flights are planned throughout 2026 to build the knowledge required for type certification.

From a product perspective, the successful flight represents a clear progression towards operational maturity. Jorge Bittercourt, Chief Product Officer at Eve, said the milestone provides a green light to advance the attributes that matter most to operators, including reliability, efficiency and simplicity. Critical elements such as lifter architecture and aircraft flight mechanics were validated, allowing the programme to move fully into the flight test phase.

Next steps will focus on progressive envelope expansion, transition to wingborne flight and continued engagement with ANAC, as well as other regulators and validating authorities, including the FAA and EASA. Throughout the programme, Eve continues to leverage Embraer’s 56 years of aerospace experience in aircraft design, certification, manufacturing and global aftermarket support, while maintaining a strong focus on safety, simplicity and dispatchability to meet operator needs at scale.