Economy
Hainan consumer fair hits all the right notes
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
By MA SI and CHEN BOWEN in Haikou
China Daily
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Aero HT, the aerospace arm of a Chinese new energy vehicle startup company XPeng, displayed its "Land Aircraft Carrier", the world's first split-body flying car set to enter mass production. The vehicle drew large crowds eager to take photos and see it up close.
The land-air dual-mode vehicle can automatically separate or recombine its ground module and air module in less than five minutes, solving two major pain points of traditional aircraft: difficulty in ground mobility and lack of storage space. The ground module also serves as a transporter, storage unit and recharging station. It is suitable not only for daily commuting, but also for off-road adventures, low-altitude tourism and emergency rescue missions.
Li Rui, vice-president of HT Aero, explained that the flying car uses a world-first single-stick control system paired with an intelligent flight controller, greatly simplifying operations. With proper airspace approval and guidance from an instructor, an ordinary person can learn to fly it fairly quickly. "We want to make flying an accessible lifestyle experience," Li said.
In March, at the company's manufacturing base in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, five units of the "Land Aircraft Carrier" rolled off the assembly line on the same day and completed multi-vehicle test flights. That milestone marked the transition from research and development and validation to commercial production preparation. The factory is the world's first base to mass-produce flying cars using a modern assembly line. At full capacity, it can produce one flying vehicle every 30 minutes.
So far, the company has received more than 7,000 preorders, and market enthusiasm continues to rise. With China elevating the low-altitude economy to a nationally strategic emerging sector, Li expressed strong confidence in its future. He called on more innovators to join the field, enriching the low-altitude travel ecosystem with new products and ultimately bringing more convenient travel experiences to the public.
