Saudi Arabia’s electric air taxi takes off, paving the way for futuristic flights

Neom, in partnership with Volocopter, has successfully completed a series of test flights for an electric air taxi in Saudi Arabia. This is the first time an electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft has received special flight authorization and undergone testing in the country. The test campaign, which lasted over a week, was the result of 18 months of collaboration between Neom, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), and Volocopter, aimed at establishing an electric Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem and testbed in Neom.

The collaboration focused on ensuring compliance with regulations and prioritizing safety before conducting the test flights. Neom’s CEO, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, emphasized the significance of the successful test flight as a milestone towards creating an innovative, sustainable, and multimodal transportation system in Neom. This achievement aligns with Neom’s commitment to developing smart, sustainable, and safe mobility solutions that improve livability, and connectivity, and reduce carbon emissions.

Abdulaziz A. Al-Duailej, President of GACA, highlighted the test flight as an important milestone for the Saudi aviation sector. It signifies progress in the sector’s strategy of employing emerging technologies and innovation to create new industries, stimulate economic growth, and generate employment opportunities. GACA also demonstrated its commitment to enabling the safe integration of innovative air transport patterns that enhance mobility experiences in urban areas and improve the overall quality of life in Saudi Arabia.

Neom and Volocopter share a joint vision of harnessing innovative, clean technology to shape a better future. The electric air mobility system, as part of Neom’s multimodal transport system, reflects their ambition to revolutionize mobility and positively transform people’s lives. In 2021, Neom and Volocopter established a joint venture to scale up advanced air mobility and position Neom as a collaborative global living lab for future transport solutions.

The test campaign primarily focused on assessing the Volocopter aircraft’s flight performance in local climate and environmental conditions, as well as its integration into the local unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) system. Volocopter eVTOLs are crucial components of Neom’s smart and sustainable multimodal mobility system, which will operate entirely on renewable energy generated from solar and wind sources. These aircraft will serve various roles, including air taxis and emergency response vehicles, offering advantages such as reduced noise, adaptability, and lower operating costs compared to traditional helicopters. They also require less on-ground infrastructure, face fewer operational restrictions, and employ intelligent autonomous capabilities to ensure safety and long-term relevance in future contexts.

This test flight achievement builds upon Neom’s significant investment of EUR 175 million and joint venture with Volocopter, positioning Neom as a leader in future mobility solutions. Volocopter aims to obtain type certification for its VoloCity air taxi by 2024, paving the way for future commercial operations. The company has recently initiated serial production of VoloCity aircraft in Bruchsal, Germany, with a production capacity of over 50 aircraft per year under single-shift conditions.