Bus in the Air

SORA Aviation is a U.K.-based startupdeveloping a “sky bus” or S-1， an electricvehicle with 30 seats capable of taking offand landing vertically （eVTOL）. Furqan，CEO of Sora， thinks that while air taxis will servethe premium market， eVTOL buses like his willmake air mobility affordable for the general public.

His sights are set on the huge Chinese market，especially in view of the development of China’slow-altitude economy in recent years. In this exclusiveinterview， he tells China Today why the S-1"will be the people’s transport in future and what ismaking China a leader in aerial mobility.

China Today ： Why did you want to develop a 30-seat eVTOL bus？ What’s its market potential？

Furqan： The most effective way to reduce per-passengercosts in advanced air mobility （AAM） is byincreasing capacity. By carrying more passengers，the operational costs of each trip are spread acrossa larger number of seats， enabling lower ticketprices. We estimate that the cost per passenger ona 30-seat piloted eVTOL bus will be about a quarterof that on a four-seat piloted air taxi.The largest market segment for AAM is likely to beairport shuttles， where demand is extremely high.It simply makes more sense to use a 30-seat eVTOLfor these routes — it’s more affordable for passengersand more scalable for operators， requiringfewer aircraft， pilots， and flights to move the samenumber of people.

China Today ： Where can the S-1 be used？

Furqan： The S-1 is specifically designed for short-distance missions under 160 kilometers， whererunway independence is essential. We’re exploringurban use cases like connecting airports tocity centers， major districts， and suburbs， as wellas commuter routes linking residential areas tocentral business districts. Another key use focuseson overcoming challenging geography， such asisland-hopping or crossing fjords. In all of thesescenarios， the S-1 is designed with affordabilityin mind， making air mobility accessible to theaverage person — not just business executives orhigh-net-worth individuals.

China Today ： When will the S-1 be put on the market？

Furqan： We’re currently in the preliminary designphase. Apart from designing and testing theaircraft， we’re engaging airlines， airports， vertiportdevelopers and regulators to ensure that the operationalprocedures， infrastructure， and regulationsare in place to accommodate the S-1. We’llbe raising our Series A round （of fundraising）soon to fund the next stages of the S-1’s development.Our goal is to achieve the first flight by2028， and entry into service by 2031. While thatmay seem far off， in the aerospace industry， it’sactually a fast-paced development timeline.

China Today ： How do you see the development of China’s low-altitude economy？

Furqan： China has established a stronghold inthe commercial drone market， particularly inShenzhen （in the south）， where companies likeDJI hold a significant share globally. The CivilAviation Administration of China is now openingup low-altitude airspace to facilitate air taxitrials in cities such as Guangzhou and Shanghai.By prioritizing technology， infrastructure， andregulatory reform， China is positioning itself asa leader in aerial mobility and the low-altitudeeconomy.

China Today ： Which particular regions or citiesin China do you see as having the most promisingopportunities for developing the low-altitudeeconomy？

Furqan： During my recent visit to the Daxing"International Airport in Beijing， it quickly becameclear that megacities like Beijing and Shanghaipresent immense market potential due to theirdense populations and congestion. However， withover a third of China’s population still residing inrural areas， there are equally significant opportunitiesto enhance connectivity through cargodrone deliveries and passenger eVTOL services.

China Today ： Are there anyunique advantages that Chinaoffers in the industry comparedto the U.K. or othermarkets in which your companyoperates？

Furqan： I think each countryhas its advantages and challenges.The U.K.， for example"has a long history of aircraft design and manufacturing，which is a key industrial strength forthe country. On the other hand， China adopts arapid pace of infrastructure development whichis critical to ensure vertiport developmentdoesn’t significantly lag behind aircraft development.China’s speed， investment， and market sizecreate exciting opportunities for growth in aerialmobility.

China Today ： Does Sora have any collaboration with Chinese companies？

Furqan： China’s massive market potential， combinedwith lower average disposable incomes，makes a low-cost， high-capacity vehicle like the S-1more appealing than air taxis. The large populationin Chinese cities also favor larger eVTOLs， makingit easier to scale this new mode of transportefficiently. We’re excited about potential collaboration"with Chinese airlines， airports， and cities toexplore the deployment of the S-1 in China. Ourgoal is to ultimately provide an affordable and accessibleair mobility service for the Chinese public.

China Today ： In your opinion， in which specificareas can China and the U.K. cooperate to promotethe development of the eVTOL bus industry？ Howcan they cooperate？

Furqan： The key area is harmonizing regulationsfor the Type Certification and operation of eVTOLaircraft. The U.K.， for example， has adoptedthe European Union Aviation Safety Agency’sstandards to ensure the highest levels of safety inAAM. Aligning on energy reserve requirements，pilot licensing， and other operational regulationsacross regions would greatly benefit the industry，facilitating global deployment and accelerating theadoption of eVTOLs.