Aircraft of the future poised to transform how we travel


Patrick Ryan
  • English
  • Arabic

This sleek electric plane could become part of everyday life in future after being tipped for use by police, taxis, ambulance services as well as search-and-rescue teams.

The electric aircraft can take off like a helicopter and land like a plane on runways as short as 100 metres.

Swiss company Manta is behind the futuristic-looking aircraft, which comes in single and double-seat configurations.

The aircraft, known as the Ann-1 (single seat) and the two-seater Ann-2, have a cruising spend of just under 300kph and a range of more than 600km.

The Ann-1 is designed for “personal mobility” and was described as a racer craft that offered extreme performance.

Manta has also designed the range with a view to the Ann planes becoming widely used as a shuttle craft to and from superyachts.

The Anns are equipped with small, fuel-driven generators that create electricity to make the batteries last longer and speed up the recharging process.

The plane is still in the testing phase, with the public being given a taste of what to expect from a three-metre scale model.

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching