NEOM unveils flying taxis,
redefining mobility in Saudi futuristic city
German air taxi maker
Volocopter has completed a series of flight tests in NEOM, the futuristic city
being built in Saudi Arabia.
The development is part
of oil-rich kingdom’s push towards sustainable and smart mobility.
According to a statement
of Neom, this marks the first time an eVTOL, or electric vertical take-off and
landing, aircraft performed test flights in Saudi Arabia.
“This safe and
successful test flight represents an important milestone of the Saudi aviation
sector,” said Abdulaziz Al Duailej, president of the General Authority of Civil
Aviation.
This builds on NEOM’s
announcement in 2022 of a $175 million Series E investment in German air
mobility company Volocopter. It also follows a joint venture between the two to
operate electric air taxi services in the city to connect various areas,
including The Line, Oxagon, and Trojena.
Volocopter eVTOLs will
be key to NEOM’s smart and sustainable multimodal mobility system, which will
be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, NEOM said.
The flight test focused
on the performance of the Volocopter aircraft in the local climate and
environmental conditions, as well as testing its integration into the local
traffic management system.
With a maximum
airspeed of 110 kilometres per hour, the 18-rotor aircraft has room for a pilot
and a passenger.
Source: https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com
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