In a historic move poised to revolutionize urban transportation, the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), in collaboration with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Abu Dhabi Mobility (AD Mobility), has unveiled the UAE’s first operational vertiport for vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) at DRIFTx. The international event showcased smart, autonomous, and sustainable urban mobility across air, land, and sea.
The introduction of the vertiport facility marks a significant milestone in Abu Dhabi’s ambitious plan to develop a state-of-the-art air taxi network by 2026. This network aims to transform the emirate’s transportation infrastructure, enhancing connectivity and positioning Abu Dhabi as a global leader in advanced air mobility.
A Visionary Leap in Urban Mobility
The temporary vertiport, constructed in line with the latest industry standards and regulations set by the UAE’s GCAA, provides a glimpse into the future of urban air transport. It highlights Abu Dhabi’s commitment to delivering one of the world’s most advanced eVTOL sectors. The vertiport’s unveiling underscores the city’s proactive approach to integrating cutting-edge technologies and sustainable solutions into its urban mobility framework.
His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the GCAA, emphasized the importance of this collaboration: “Our partnership with ADIO and AD Mobility underscores our commitment to fostering innovation while maintaining the highest levels of safety and regulatory compliance in the rapidly evolving field of advanced air mobility. Events to enhance such visions play a crucial role in accelerating the development of advanced air mobility in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. By bringing together industry experts, innovators, and stakeholders, such events facilitate invaluable dialogue and collaboration that propels us toward a future where smart and sustainable urban air transportation is a reality.”
The UAE’s pioneering approach to advanced air mobility is further exemplified by the GCAA’s initiative in establishing the world’s first national regulation on vertiports. This regulation ensures the availability of safe and suitable infrastructure to accommodate eVTOL aircraft, covering design, operations, and certification provisions for vertiports on land and at sea. This bespoke regulatory framework sets a global benchmark for other regulators, demonstrating the UAE’s commitment to innovation and safety in the aviation sector.
Strategic Collaboration for a Connected Future
The collaboration between ADIO and AD Mobility is set to transform Abu Dhabi’s urban landscape. His Excellency Abdulla Al Marzouqi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Mobility, highlighted the strategic importance of this partnership: “The collaboration between ADIO and AD Mobility will see vertiports set up in strategic locations across Abu Dhabi, including major business hubs and tourism destinations. Once complete, the vertiport network will be a key enabler of Abu Dhabi’s SAVI cluster. Centred in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, it provides state-of-the-art facilities and value-add services within an enabling regulatory environment for companies developing advanced technologies across air, land, and sea mobility applications. This is an exciting time for mobility in Abu Dhabi.”
Economic and Technological Advancements
AD Mobility’s mandate includes overseeing land transport, aviation, and maritime activities in addition to driver and vehicle licensing and permitting services. This comprehensive approach solidifies its commitment to shaping the future of mobility in the region, harnessing technology, innovation, and sustainability to accommodate the emirate’s growing population and redefine urban living.
Badr Al-Olama, Director General of ADIO, emphasized the economic and technological significance of the vertiport network: “Abu Dhabi’s vertiport network will mark a significant milestone in transport innovation and the future of mobility.
Our partnership with AD Mobility is pivotal for creating robust infrastructure to make smart and autonomous vehicles a reality and part of everyday life, propelling us towards a more connected and efficient future. The network will create extensive commercial opportunities for transport infrastructure companies, fostering economic development alongside technological advancement.”
ADIO engaged with experts in the advanced air mobility sector during the inaugural Abu Dhabi Mobility Week, outlining the commercial opportunities available to develop the capital’s vertiport infrastructure network through Abu Dhabi’s public-private partnership (PPP) framework. This framework, which has successfully delivered major infrastructure projects, will create new commercial opportunities for local and international transportation infrastructure companies.
SAVI Cluster: A Hub of Innovation
The plans announced by ADIO and AD Mobility are set to bolster Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster. Located in Masdar City, the SAVI cluster offers state
of-the-art facilities and value-added services within an enabling regulatory environment. It provides access to academia, sandboxes, R&D labs, testing and certification facilities, large-scale workshops, hangars, manufacturing facilities, and global logistics integration. This comprehensive ecosystem has attracted some of the world’s most innovative eVTOL companies, including Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation.
The development of vertiport infrastructure is a critical component of this strategy, enabling the operationalization of air taxis and integrating them into Abu Dhabi’s broader urban mobility network. The SAVI cluster’s resources and facilities will support the development and deployment of advanced technologies, positioning Abu Dhabi as a global hub for innovation in urban air mobility.
Recent Partnerships
The recent collaboration between Archer and Falcon Aviation extends from a memorandum of understanding, wherein the UAE-based company provisionally agreed to operate Archer’s Midnight aircraft. Archer aims to have the Midnight certified and ready for service by 2025.
The partnership is endorsed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, which is anticipated to make an undisclosed investment, marking Archer’s first international venture. Archer will be part of Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry cluster.
Archer’s Chief Commercial Officer,
Nikhil Goel, highlighted the swift progress made in the UAE since the announcement three months ago, emphasizing the significance of being the first to unveil plans for operations between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, along with vertiport infrastructure at both ends of the commuter route.
In a momentous leap towards the future of transportation, Joby Aviation, a company dedicated to developing all-electric aircraft for commercial passenger service, has set its sights on the skies of Dubai. A groundbreaking agreement was inked between Joby and Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA), with the visionary presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai.
The agreement, an emblem of Dubai’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, grants Joby exclusive rights to operate air taxi services in the Emirate for six years, positioning Dubai as a global leader in clean and efficient air travel. With initial operations slated as early as 2025 and full-scale launch by early 2026, this partnership promises to redefine urban mobility, delivering fast, clean, and quiet air travel powered by Joby’s revolutionary technology.
JoeBen Bevirt, the founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, expressed his excitement about the partnership, highlighting the significance of sustainable air travel: “It is an honor to partner with the government of Dubai to demonstrate the value of sustainable air travel to the world. Today’s landmark agreement delivers on all three ingredients required to successfully launch an air taxi service – a definitive path to operations, well placed infrastructure supported by dedicated partners, and an aircraft with the capacity and range to deliver meaningful journeys.”
Dubai’s commitment to embracing future transportation technologies was echoed by His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors for RTA, who sees the air taxi service as a novel and efficient mobility option for residents and visitors alike. “This service will also enhance seamless multimodal transportation, improving citywide connectivity, and ensuring a smooth travel experience for passengers,” remarked Al Tayer.
In tandem with the agreement with RTA, Joby also forged a partnership with Skyports, a leading provider of vertiport infrastructure, to design, build, and operate four initial vertiport sites across Dubai. These strategic locations include Dubai International Airport (DXB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Downtown, strategically positioned to cater to the diverse travel needs of residents and tourists.
With the stage set and the vision clear, Dubai’s skyward journey begins. As Joby Aviation, RTA, and Skyports join forces to revolutionize urban transportation, the Emirate prepares to soar to new heights, embracing the future of mobility with open arms. The countdown to the era of air taxis in Dubai has begun, promising a seamless, sustainable, and exhilarating mode of travel for generations to come.
Volocopter, an early mover in the UAM sector when it launched in 2011, recently attracted US$240m in funding.
Likewise, fellow German start-up Lilium is merging with the Qell Acquisition Corp for a valuation price of US$3.3bn. “The test will start in the fourth quarter of 2017, and the project has been scheduled to run for five years,” Alexander Zosel, co-founder of Volocopter, is pleased to report. Dubai plans to handle 25 % of all of its passenger travel using autonomous transportation by as early as 2030. For the world’s first regular test run of autonomous air taxis, the emirate has now asked Volocopter’s experts on board for additional support. “We are very grateful and proud that the RTA has selected us as their partner after rigorous testing,” said Zosel.
Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ: LILM), developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet, has signed an agreement that appoints ArcosJet DMCC (“ArcosJet”), a Dubai-based leader in business aircraft brokerage, as the exclusive authorized dealer for private sales of the Lilium Jet in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel, and the Republic of Cyprus.
The agreement includes a commitment fee payment to Lilium and grants ArcosJet exclusivity on private sales. With this agreement, ArcosJet becomes
Lilium’s first reseller in the Middle East and its fifth dealer globally.
UAE Residents Open to eVTOLs, According to New Survey 78 percent of residents in the United Arab Emirates feel that eVTOLs will be able to alleviate or solve traffic congestion within the city, according to a new study by UK-based market research and data analytics company YouGov. The study, which surveyed more than 2000 residents in the UAE and Saudi Arabia in November, also found that 65 percent of respondents agree that traffic is a major concern in their city, particularly among working individuals.
Conclusion
As Abu Dhabi takes flight with its first operational vertiport, the city is setting a new standard for urban air mobility. The unveiling of the vertiport in the UAE marks a significant step towards realizing Abu Dhabi’s vision of a connected, efficient, and sustainable transportation network. With the support of ADIO, AD Mobility, and the GCAA, Abu Dhabi is well-positioned to lead the way in advanced air mobility, creating new opportunities for economic growth and technological advancement.
