Saudi Arabia Successfully Completes its First Electric Air Taxi Test Flight

NEOM, a region in northwest Saudi Arabia, and Volocopter, the German air mobility company, have announced the successful completion of a series of air taxi test flights. This marks the first time an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft has received special flight authorization and performed test flights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

 

The flight test campaign of air taxi, which spanned more than a week, was the culmination of 18 months of collaboration between NEOM, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), and Volocopter. The primary objective was to establish and expand an electric Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem and testing ground in NEOM. With a maximum airspeed of 110 kilometres per hour, the 18-rotor aircraft has room for a pilot and a passenger.

“This safe and successful test flight represents an important milestone of the Saudi aviation sector and another steady step towards achieving the aviation sector’s strategy”, said Abdulaziz Al Duailej, president of the General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Christian Bauer, Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Volocopter, said, “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 lain the groundwork for our future collaboration here in NEOM.”

After obtaining full operational approval, the eVTOL aircraft are anticipated to serve as air taxis and emergency response vehicles. According to the parties involved, these aircraft will offer significant advantages over the helicopters currently in use, including quieter operation, enhanced adaptability, and increased affordability. Furthermore, the eVTOLs are designed to be intelligent and sustainable, relying entirely on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.

NEOM, the futuristic city being built in Saudi Arabia, had earlier announced a $175 million Series E investment in Volocopter. In 2021, Neom announced its confirmed order for 15 Volocopter aircraft, with plans to commence initial flight operations within the next two to three years. The order comprises ten VoloCity passenger aircraft and five VoloDrone logistics aircraft, which will facilitate the early launch of flight operations.

Volocopter expects to obtain type certification for its VoloCity air taxi in 2024, enabling future commercial operations. Volocopter recently announced the commencement of VoloCity serial production at its facilities in Bruchsal, Germany, with a capacity to deliver more than 50 aircraft a year.