Volocopter Air Taxi Manufacturer Completes Flight Test At Saudi Arabia Neom

Volocopter fleet trials on Neom. (Source: Neom)

JAKARTA - German air taxi manufacturer Volocopter, completed a series of test flights in Neom, a futuristic city under construction in Saudi Arabia, as part of efforts to realize sustainable and intelligent mobility.

This marks the first time eVTOL aircraft, or take off and land vertically electric, conducted flight tests in Saudi Arabia, Neom said in a statement.

"This safe and successful test flight is an important milestone in the Saudi Arabian aviation sector," said Abdulaziz Al Duailej, president of the General Civil Aviation Authority, as reported by The National News July 20.

This trial follows Neom's announcement in 2022 about a $175 million Series E investment in German air mobility company Volocopter. It also follows a joint venture between the two to operate an electric air taxi service in the city to connect various areas, including The Line, Oxagon and Trojena.

The Volocopter eVTOL will be key to Neom's smart and sustainable multimodal mobility system, which will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, Neom said.

NEOM and #Volocopter have successfully completed a series of air taxi test flights, marking the first eVTOL flight in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 💫Learn more: https://t.co/ZZg7DSGvFG#NEOM @Volocopter pic.twitter.com/PtJJkTEMfk

— NEOM (@NEOM) June 21, 2023

NEOM and #Volocopter have successfully completed a series of air taxi test flights, marking the first eVTOL flight in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 💫Learn more: https://t.co/ZZg7DSGvFG#NEOM @Volocopter pic.twitter.com/PtJJkTEMfk

Previously, Neom said it had booked 15 Volocopter aircraft in 2021, which had been confirmed to start early flight operations in the next two to three years. This includes initial orders for 10 VoloCity passenger aircraft and five VoloDrone logistics aircraft to support early activation of flight operations.

Volocopter flight tests lasted for more than a week, which was built based on an 18-month collaboration between Neom, Gaca and German companies. The goal is to implement and expand the urban air mobility system of electricity and test places on Neom.

Flight tests are focused on the performance of Volocopter aircraft in climate conditions and the local environment, as well as testing its integration into the local traffic management system.

Volocopter hopes to get a VoloCity air taxi-type certification by 2024, which will allow for future commercial operations.

Volocopter recently announced the start of production of the VoloCity series at its facilities in Bruchsal, Germany, with the capacity to generate more than 50 aircraft per year under one shift.

With a maximum air speed of 110 kilometers per hour, this 18-rotor aircraft has room for pilots and passengers.