35 flying taxis will ‘take off’ from Dubai resort in 2026

Eve and Falcon Aviation Services have partnered to introduce ‘electric vertical take-off and landing’ (eVTOL) aircraft flights in Dubai, a development that comes as the emirate looks to embrace tech in its transport infrastructure.

An announcement by the companies, made this week, revealed that in April 2022, a subsidiary of Eve Holding – a company dedicated to accelerating the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ecosystem and Falcon Aviation Services signed a Letter of Intent for up to 35 eVTOL aircraft.

With deliveries expected to start in 2026, the partnership will introduce the first eVTOL touristic flights from the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.

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Eve and Falcon will work together with local stakeholders and authorities to support developing the UAM in the UAE.

Falcon, established in 2006 under the initiative of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, offers helicopter sightseeing tours from Atlantis, the Palm, currently handling 40,000 sightseeing passengers annually, with plans to double this number in the next five years.

eVTOL are aircraft that use electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically. They are a new class of clean, quiet, cheap air taxi that promise to fundamentally transform cities in the coming decades.

“Dozens of companies are spending billions of dollars to make eVTOLs that will operate like air taxis - taking off and landing from what are called vertiports on the tops of buildings, parking garages or helipads in congested cities,” CBS had reported earlier.

“EVTOLs promise a faster, safer and greener mode of transportation - potentially changing the way we work and live,” the report added.

Captain Ramandeep Oberoi, Chief Operating Officer of Falcon, said: “We are ecstatic to partner with Eve and be the first operator of eVTOL in Dubai & the MENA region.”

He said the launch of the concept aligns with the Smart Dubai vision and will contribute to positioning Dubai as a global leader in sustainable UAM transportation.

“We are particularly proud to take a new step in the UAE, in a project that will be revolutionary for sustainable urban mobility.”

Earlier, Nasser bu Shehab, CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), told Business Recorder: “Dubai’s transportation plans are prepared to cater for the future growth in both population and tourists.”

Shehab said plans include introducing new modes of transport such as autonomous and flying taxis in partnership with top international companies. The RTA’s goal is “to achieve 25% of trips by driverless modes in 2030.” The authority has previously said it will start its autonomous vehicle service in 2023 and intends to have 4,000 driverless vehicles by 2030

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