Turbulence for Tomorrow’s Tech: Flying Cars Collide in China

Photo Credits: BBC

Two flying cars collided during a rehearsal for the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition. The accident occurred last Tuesday. One of the vehicles was forced to the ground after the pilot was injured, where it promptly caught fire. 

Videos released by Chinese media showed plumes of smoke billowing from one of the vehicles, while fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene. The incident took place in Changchun, Jilin Province, as the city prepared for a five-day airshow scheduled to begin Friday.  

Xpeng Aeroht, a subsidiary of Chinese electric vehicle giant Xpeng, has been developing flying cars, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, which were due to be demonstrated during the airshow. 

In a statement issued by the company, it said that the main causes of the collision were insufficient spacing and sustained damage to the fuselage, which led to the vehicle catching fire upon landing. 

“All personnel at the scene are safe, and local authorities have completed on-site emergency measures in an orderly manner,” the statement continued, adding that an investigation is currently underway. 

Other sources revealed that the vehicles had been performing high-difficulty stunts in a close formation. One of the pilots sustained a minor injury and is thankfully not in any critical condition.

This incident also highlights the need for reforms and well-considered contingency plans, which will be essential as the aviation industry evolves and begins to integrate flying cars. With the increasing number of aircraft already visible in today’s skies, it is clear that airspace congestion will become a growing challenge that must be addressed proactively. 

Recent incidents suggest these fears are not just theoretical: 

• In the United States, drones have posed a growing risk to commercial airliners near major airports. In 2024, nearly two-thirds of reported near midair collisions at top U.S. airports involved drones during takeoff or landing, including cases where a drone passed less than 50 feet from a departing jet.  

  
  

• Back in the United Kingdom, one of the most visible disruptions was caused by drone sightings near London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 in June 2025, which forced temporary halts in operations. 

• In Washington, D.C., there were over 15,000 near misses between commercial aircraft and helicopters arriving or departing Ronald Reagan National Airport. Pilots reported instances where helicopters came only hundreds of feet from airliners, triggering safety alerts. This was all before the tragic midair collision in January 2025 between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a commercial CRJ-700 regional jet approaching Reagan National Airport killed all 67 people aboard both aircraft, highlighting the dangers of congested and complex airspace. 

  
  

These examples underline how increasing numbers of non-traditional aerial vehicles (drones, helicopters, etc.) are squeezing already busy air corridors, raising collision risk and complicating air traffic management. 

From Brookfield Aviation’s perspective, these developments reinforce the urgent need for international collaboration, advanced traffic management systems, and robust regulation to ensure that the integration of new aerial technologies enhances aviation safety rather than jeopardises it.