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Saudi Arabia’s First Electric Air Taxi Completes Test Flight

The week-long program was a collaboration between NEOM representatives, Volocopter, and Saudi aviation authorities.

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2 years ago

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saudi arabia's first electric air taxi completes test flight

Representatives from NEOM — the massive Saudi Arabian smart city development project — and urban air mobility company Volocopter have announced the successful completion of a test flight by an eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) air taxi service.

The week-long test flight program was the first of its kind to receive the go-ahead from Saudi officials, and was conducted in collaboration with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA).

NEOM and Volocopter aim to implement and scale a complete electric UAM ecosystem in the upcoming smart city development as part of their shared vision for a clean, sustainable future.

volocopter evtol in saudi arabia neom

NEOM CEO, Nadhmi Al-Nasr, said: “The successful test flight of a Volocopter eVTOL is […] another milestone towards creating NEOM’s innovative, sustainable, multimodal transportation system. Driving the development of smart, sustainable, and safe mobility systems will improve livability and connectivity in cities worldwide and reduce carbon emissions, creating a cleaner future for all”.

Meanwhile, Volocopter Chief Commercial, Christian Bauer, was equally enthusiastic about the results of the test flight: “It is beyond exciting to see our work from the past 18 months come to fruition. As the first eVTOL aircraft to ever test in Saudi Arabia, we are proud to have laid the groundwork for our future collaboration here in NEOM”.

Also Read: Dubai Hospital Delivery Drone Completes Successful First Trial

Volocopter’s eVTOLs will be powered by 100% renewable energy from solar and wind sources. The electric craft will also be multi-use, with plans to deploy them as taxis, emergency response vehicles, and more. The electric helicopters should be easily adaptable, cheaper to run than conventional models, and a good deal quieter. Meanwhile, smart and autonomous capabilities ensure high levels of safety in confined cityscapes.

The air taxi test flight announcement comes after NEOM’s EUR 175 million investment into Volocopter, which recently confirmed that its production plant in Bruchsal, Germany, now had the capacity to build over 50 helicopters per year.

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UAE Prepares To Launch Two Satellites: Thuraya-2 And MBZ-SAT

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council yesterday.

Published

5 days ago

on

December 17, 2024

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uae prepares to launch two satellites thuraya-2 and mbz-sat

HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Space Council in Dubai on December 16, 2024. The session highlighted the UAE’s ambitious space plans and took stock of the sector’s economic progress.

The council emphasized the growing role of private companies in advancing space technologies, noting that their contributions are now equal to that of the public sector. Members also praised initiatives like the Space Economic Zones Programme, which are designed to fuel innovation and investment in the space industry.

Discussing the UAE’s space journey, HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum remarked, “The national space sector continues to grow and advance, and we take immense pride in the remarkable achievements we have accomplished over the years”.

Sheikh Hamdan also received updates on two upcoming satellite projects: Thuraya-2 and MBZ-SAT. Thuraya-2, developed by Space42, is slated for launch this December. Meanwhile, the MBZ-SAT, created by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC), will soon follow. MBRSC, a major driver of the UAE National Space Programme, continues to lead the nation’s space-related developments.

Space42 took the opportunity to showcase its advancements, including ongoing collaborations between public and private entities. The company also outlined strategies to promote innovation, boost revenue streams, and create new opportunities for growth in the sector.

Also Read: IBM Opens New Doha Office To Support Qatar’s Digital Growth

The UAE’s current projects build on a growing legacy of space exploration. Back in 2020, the nation made headlines with its Mars mission, successfully sending a probe into the planet’s orbit in 2021. This mission, which is now in its second phase as of June 2024, has been collecting critical data to develop a comprehensive diurnal image of Mars.

The UAE also ventured into lunar exploration with an unmanned mission aimed at studying untouched regions of the Moon’s surface. While the probe ultimately crashed during its landing attempt after communication was lost seconds before touchdown, the effort represented a significant step in the country’s exploration ambitions.

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