The success of the first flying taxi experience in Saudi Arabia in NEOM

Weather of Arabia - After 18 months of continuous work, NEOM and Volocopter announced that they had successfully completed a series of electric vertical vehicle flights (eVTOL), or what is known as "air taxi", for the first time in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, after obtaining a special permit to fly .

The experiment took place under stable weather factors in the Tabuk region, and Neum in particular, with calm winds and absence of rain and clouds.

The series of experiments extended over a full week, after an 18-month period of cooperation between NEOM, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and Volocopter, with the aim of building a system for electric and emissions-free urban air mobility (UAM), and testing it in NEOM, where all parties worked. To complete the procedures required to ensure the highest safety standards during the trial period.

The test flights focused on keeping up with the performance of the Volocopter vehicles for the local atmosphere in the Kingdom, and the different climatic conditions, as well as on the extent of their integration and integration with the local Unmanned Aircraft Traffic System (UTM).

On this occasion, the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation Abdulaziz Al-Duailej said: “The success of this safe test flight represents an important turning point in the march of the Saudi aviation sector, and another step towards achieving its strategy, through innovation and employing the latest technologies to create new industries that contribute to the gross domestic product, and provide more It also confirms the authority’s commitment to enabling the safe integration of innovative air travel patterns, which contributes to improving the experience of movement of individuals in urban areas, and raises the quality of life in the Kingdom.”

In turn, the CEO of NEOM, Engineer Nazmi Al-Nasr, said: “The successful test flight of the Volocopter vehicle for electric vertical mobility reflects the creative and innovative achievement of NEOM to create a sustainable and multi-modal mobility sector, and it is also a vivid and exemplary example of our role as a global accelerator and incubator for innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges in the world.” Our leadership in providing sustainable and safe mobility solutions will contribute to improving the quality of life, enhancing mobility between cities, and reducing the level of harmful emissions, in order to create a healthy and sustainable future for all.”

For his part, CEO of the Commercial Sector at Volocopter, Christian Bauer, said: “It is wonderful to achieve this achievement after 18 months of work; we are proud to launch the first electric vertical vehicle mobility experiences in the Kingdom, which will open the way for further cooperation here in NEOM.” .

The eVTOL flying electric vehicles will contribute significantly to the creation of a smart, sustainable and multi-modal mobility system in NEOM, which will depend on its operation on 100% solar and wind energy. These vehicles will play multiple roles, including air taxi and emergency response, and are quieter and easier to adapt. With different conditions, as well as less expensive to operate than helicopters in use today, and it requires less complex infrastructure on the ground for take-off and landing, due to its fewer operational restrictions, in addition to that it employs smart and autonomous capabilities that ensure safety, adaptation and sustainability in the future.

NEOM and Volocopter share a common vision about the importance of innovative and clean technology to create a better future. Vertical electric mobility, which is part of NEOM's multimodal mobility system, reflects its ambition to redefine the mobility sector, develop it and expand its innovative solutions. To facilitate people's lives, and in a way that contributes to strengthening NEOM's global position as a living laboratory for future technologies in the mobility sector.

NEOM had previously announced its partnership with Volocopter to develop vertical mobility solutions and its entry into an investment of $175 million in the company, which contributes to affirming NEOM's global leadership in providing future mobility solutions.

Volocopter expects to obtain a certificate of approval for the "Volocity" air taxi in 2024, and the company recently announced the start of mass production of this vehicle at its factories in Bruchsal, Germany, with a production capacity to deliver more than 50 vehicles annually.