Neom, the smart development in northwest Saudi Arabia, and Volocopter, the Germany-based pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM) have announced the successful completion of a series of air taxi test flights. It marks the first time an eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft has received a special flight authorization and performed test flights in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to a statement.
The flight test campaign lasted over a week and took place in collaboration with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The aim is to implement an electric UAM ecosystem and testbed in the smart region of Neom. “Driving the development of smart, sustainable, and safe mobility systems will improve livability and connectivity in cities around the world,” commented Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of Neom.
The test campaign focused on the flight performance of Volocopter’s VoloCity air taxi in local climate conditions, as well as testing its integration into the local unmanned aircraft system traffic management system, explains the statement.
In 2021, Neom and Volocopter founded a 175-million euro joint venture to scale advanced air mobility. Volocopter expects to obtain type certification of its VoloCity air taxi in 2024. The company 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. ce/em
