Zomato and Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal on Sunday (January 5) shared an update about the prototype aircraft developed by his newly backed aviation startup, LAT Aerospace. Though the LAT One v0.1 prototype crashed during the test flight, it demonstrated ultra-short take-off and landing (uSTOL).
“The plane crashed a bit later, which we knew was going to happen, and our simulations had already suggested so, due to structural defects. However, the main objective of the test flight was to test uSTOL, which was successfully demonstrated,” Goyal said in his X and LinkedIn post, while sharing the video.Divulging further details, the Zomato co-founder said they are already building LAT One v0.2, which should hopefully complete a mission. As per Goyal, the aircraft managed to achieve uSTOL. Notably, it is the primary objective of the test.
“Making a plane take off is only 20% of the problem. Making it land safely is where the work lies,” he stated. Goyal highlighted that LAT Aerospace learnt a lot from the test flight and the company would come out better and stronger.
Goyal co-launched LAT Aerospace in 2025 along with co-founder Surobhi Das. The main focus of the aerospace firm is to build a new generation of Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft, engineered to operate from compact air-stops rather than conventional airports.
Our aircraft are being designed from first principles: advanced aerodynamics for lift and efficiency, hybrid-electric propulsion for sustainability, and autonomy built in from day one to make operations smarter and scalable,” the company’s website read.
According to a report by Moneycontrol, Goyal has invested USD 20 million into the startup and overall USD 50 million has been raised so far.
