Vela Prima Nusantara Unveils Full-Scale Alpha Prototype Aircraft
PT Vela Prima Nusantara (Vela Aero) has carried out the first unveiling of a full-scale physical prototype of the Alpha aircraft at Heli Expo Asia (HEXIA) 2026, held at Cengkareng Heliport, Jakarta. The launch cements Indonesia’s and Vela Aero’s position as a pioneer Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector, leading the way in Southeast Asia.
The unveiling of the full-scale physical prototype marks an important transition for the Vela Alpha from the conceptual design phase towards an official flight test campaign and airworthiness certification. The Vela Alpha is being developed to address the challenges of geographical connectivity across more than 17,000 islands, reduce urban land congestion, and deliver zero-emission air transport.
The Alpha aircraft is built not merely as a means of transporting goods or people, but as a solution for more flexible, affordable and safe everyday mobility.
Strong commercial traction at both regional and international levels accompanies the successful execution of this physical manufacturing. To date, Vela Aero has secured an accumulated 160 Letters of Intent (LOI) for the procurement of Vela Alpha fleets from domestic and international customers.
This figure excludes various strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with industry stakeholders that do not explicitly specify fleet numbers, as well as cooperation in developing supporting facilities for AAM operations.
One of the key commercial agreements signed alongside HEXIA 2026 is an MoU with leading aviation operator Whitesky Aviation regarding plans to procure 50 Vela Alpha units to support airport feeder routes, urban air taxis, high-yield tourism, and industrial estate logistics.
To ensure operational readiness towards the Entry Into Service (EIS) target in early 2029, Vela Aero announced two crucial regulatory and testing milestones targeted for the end of 2026.
First, the maiden flight (Live Demo Flight) is planned for the fourth quarter of 2026 in front of the public, regulators, partners and potential investors.
Second, the target of obtaining a Design Organization Approval (DOA) Class D licence from the Directorate of Airworthiness and Aircraft Operations (DKPPU) at the Ministry of Transportation by the end of 2026. This licence provides institutional legality for Vela Aero in designing and manufacturing nationally certified aircraft.
After achieving the end-2026 milestones, Vela Aero will focus the 2027-2028 period on transitioning into the Alpha aircraft certification phase, converting LOIs into firm purchase orders, and integrating the vertiport, MRO and leasing company ecosystem, before obtaining full Type Certification (TC) by the end of 2028.
‘The physical presence of the full-scale Vela Alpha prototype at Cengkareng Heliport today is tangible proof of our domestic engineering and manufacturing capabilities,’ said the executive team of PT Vela Prima Nusantara, quoted on Wednesday (25/8/2026).
‘We are not merely building an aircraft, but orchestrating an integrated AAM ecosystem to bring Indonesia to the forefront of aviation innovation and aerospace technology IP ownership in Southeast Asia,’ they added.
The Vela Alpha uses a Lift-and-Cruise configuration driven by a Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) system based on nine electric motors. This configuration allows the aircraft to take off and land vertically before transitioning to efficient cruise mode using its wings.
Designed with a high level of system redundancy, the aircraft retains the ability to fly safely even if one of the electric motors fails. In addition to the pure electric variant for urban routes, Vela Aero is also developing a hybrid-electric (hVTOL) variant for Regional Air Mobility missions with longer range.