Saudi Arabia has made a significant advancement in its pursuit of enhancing quality of life and promoting a sustainable multifunctional transport scheme through the testing of air taxi flights in NEOM. This flight test campaign, which lasted over a week, was the result of 18 months of collaboration between NEOM, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and Volocopter. The objective was to establish and expand an electric urban air transport ecosystem and test bed in NEOM, as stated in a press release issued on Wednesday.
Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, expressed his satisfaction with the successful test flight of the Volocopter eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing), considering it a concrete illustration of NEOM's role as a global catalyst and incubator for solutions to the world's most urgent problems. Al-Nasr emphasized the importance of developing intelligent, sustainable, and secure transport systems, as they would improve connection and livability in cities all over the world, lower carbon emissions, and produce a cleaner future for everybody.
Prior to the test flights, the involved parties worked closely together to ensure compliance with regulations and safety standards. Abdulaziz A. Al-Duailej, the President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), commended the achievement, describing it as another incremental step towards achieving the aviation sector's goals in the Kingdom. Al-Duailej highlighted the commitment of GACA to enable the safe integration of innovative air transport patterns that enhance mobility and quality of life in Saudi Arabia.
In order to enhance air transport, NEOM and Volocopter formed a joint venture in 2021, establishing NEOM as a cooperative worldwide living lab for transportation in the future. Christian Bauer, Chief Commercial Officer of Volocopter, expressed his excitement about witnessing the results of their labour over the last 18 months. As the first eVTOL aircraft to undergo testing in Saudi Arabia, Volocopter is proud to have set the foundation for future collaborations in NEOM.
The test campaign's main objective was to assess the flight capabilities of the Volocopter aircraft in relation to the climate and surroundings. Additionally, it evaluated the aircraft's interaction with the neighborhood's unmanned aircraft system traffic control system. Volocopter eVTOLs will play a crucial role in NEOM's intelligent and sustainable multimodal transport system, which will rely on 100 percent renewable energy from solar and wind sources. These eVTOL aircraft will serve as air taxis and emergency rescue vehicles, offering advantages such as reduced noise, greater adaptability, and lower operational costs compared to traditional helicopters.
The announcement of the test flight further solidifies NEOM's position as a leader in future transport solutions. NEOM has already invested over $190 million in a joint venture with Volocopter, reinforcing its commitment to this endeavor. Volocopter anticipates obtaining type certification for its VoloCity air taxi in 2024, paving the way for future commercial operations. The company has also recently begun serial production of VoloCity aircraft in Bruchsal, Germany, with the capacity to deliver more than 50 aircraft annually under normal working conditions.
