New Delhi: Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal’s aviation startup, LAT Aerospace, has reached an important step in building small aircraft that can take off and land in very short spaces. The company recently tested its first aircraft prototype, called Lat One v0.1, and successfully proved its ultra-short take-off and landing (uSTOL) ability. However, the plane crashed shortly after taking off.
Deepinder Goyal shared a video of the test flight on social media platform X. He said the main goal of the test was achieved even though the plane did not complete the flight. According to him, the crash was expected because earlier computer simulations had already shown structural weaknesses in the aircraft.
Goyal explained that making a plane take off is only a small part of the challenge. The harder and more important task is making sure it can land safely. He said the company learned a lot from the crash and is already working on the next version of the aircraft, Lat One v0.2, which is expected to complete a full mission.
LAT Aerospace was started in January 2025 by Deepinder Goyal and former Zomato executive Surobhi Das. The company is building a new type of Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft. These planes are designed to operate from small “air-stops” instead of large airports. This could make air travel and cargo transport faster and more flexible, especially for short distances.
The Lat One prototype is an electric aircraft that was fully designed and built by the company at its own flight lab. Goyal said the aircraft can fly for about 60 minutes and is capable of flying the Mumbai–Pune route on its own, without a pilot. This shows strong potential for use in short-distance delivery and autonomous travel.
Looking ahead, LAT Aerospace plans to develop hybrid-electric engines to increase flight range and carrying capacity. The company is also building an in-house team to design gas turbine engines, which is uncommon for a young startup.
Despite the crash, Goyal remained positive. He said the test helped the team gain valuable knowledge and confidence. According to him, the company will improve its designs and come back stronger with the next prototype.
