Saudi and Chinese companies have conducted a successful test trial of the first unmanned air taxi in the holy city of Makkah, Saudi Arabia. The trial, aimed at enhancing travel during Hajj, was carried out on Wednesday by Front End Limited Company, a Saudi tech integration firm, in collaboration with EHang, a Chinese autonomous aerial vehicle technology platform company.
The EH216-S eVTOL electric aerial vehicle, capable of flying 40 kilometres without fuel, was showcased in an autonomous trial attended by Saudi Transport Minister Saleh Al-Jasser and General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej. Al-Jasser remarked, “The trial was done in order to make sure the air taxi could provide services during the Hajj season.”
Al-Duailej highlighted the significance, stating, “The trial marks a major advancement in integrating Advanced Air Mobility solutions into Saudi Arabia’s aviation landscape.” The unmanned air taxi, designed to transport two people and powered solely by electricity, aims to support Hajj by transporting pilgrims between holy sites, facilitating emergency travel, airlifting medical equipment, and providing logistical services for goods transportation.
The Transport General Authority, via Saudi Press Agency, noted that the air taxi service is the “world’s first air taxi to be licensed by a civil aviation authority.” Al-Jasser emphasised, “We are following up on all the technologies available in order to be among the first countries that can benefit from these services, particularly in serving Hajj pilgrims.”
This pioneering trial aligns with Saudi Arabia’s goals of increasing efficiency and sustainability in travel during the Hajj. The Hajj pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, begins on today with over 1.5 million pilgrims expected this year.
