Saudi Arabia has successfully completed its first air taxi trial in Makkah, setting the stage for deployment in the coming years and revolutionizing Hajj transportation for pilgrims.
Saudi Arabia has made substantial investments totaling hundreds of millions of dollars into Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) solutions, aiming to catalyze and expand the sector significantly.
ICT technologies such as 5G, edge computing, IoT and non-terrestrial SatCom networks play a crucial role in enabling aircrafts to stay connected when airborne.
Furthermore, the low latency and high-speed communications of 5G connectivity facilitates the real-time control and monitoring of EAVs by sending data to ground control systems.
The groundbreaking air taxi trial, conducted utilizing an EH216-S pilotless eVTOL aircraft, was led by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services, the Ministry of Hajj, the Ministry of Interior, and the Front End Limited Company.
This strategic move is part of the Saudi Aviation Strategy (SAS), which aims to elevate the Kingdom to become the foremost aviation hub in the Middle East by the year 2030.
The investment underscores Saudi Arabia's commitment to fostering innovation and technological advancement in the aviation industry, positioning itself as a leader in the rapidly evolving field of Advanced Air Mobility.