Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Transport and FlyNow Arabia, a company specialising in urban air transport, have begun implementing the kingdom's first application for cargo and passenger transport via air taxi.

Yvonne Winter, chief executive of FlyNow Arabia, told local Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper on May 20 that the company plans to start the project this year at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology as a pilot programme in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport.

"The company aims to transport cargo for distances up to one million miles before moving to passenger transport through populated areas," Winter said.

FlyNow Arabia aspires to achieve a breakthrough in air transport by 2030, making Riyadh the world's first city to feature a real unmanned air taxi service.

The project demonstrates Saudi Arabia's ambition to keep pace with global developments in smart and sustainable transport whilst highlighting its commitment to innovation through collaboration with various entities to enhance local capabilities.

According to available information, the eCopters feature a cabin, a lift generation unit and a battery electric drivetrain. Two coaxial counter-rotating rotor-propellers are driven by two electric motors, which are connected via a gimbal joint to the top of the cabin.

Winter explained that FlyNow Arabia, established in 2019 in Salzburg, Austria, has developed electric helicopter models known as "ecopters". These aircraft can fly automatically within predetermined routes, contributing to efficient cargo and passenger transport.

Available options include cargo transport with a loading capacity of up to 200 kilogrammes and a flight range reaching 50 KM at speeds of 130 KM per hour. The options also include air taxis for one or two people aimed at replacing traditional ground transport services.

Winter highlighted statistics showing approximately 500,000 taxi drivers in Riyadh, emphasising the significant potential achievable through the company's autonomous flight technology, which eliminates the need for pilots.

The ecopter costs EUR350,000 (SAR1.4mn), whilst competing aircraft reach EUR15mn (SAR40mn). The lower prices enable the company to offer air taxi services at rates similar to traditional taxis, Winter noted.

Earlier in 2024, Saudi Arabia launched a self-driving aerial taxi service for pilgrims during last year’s Hajj season, as part of the country’s push towards autonomous vehicles.

Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, the Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, declared this initiative as the world's first civil aviation authority-licensed flying taxi.

Earlier in 2024, the country announced it would also operate flying taxis in NEOM, the futuristic city under development north of Mecca.

NEOM has been working with German firm Volocopter since 2021 on a joint venture to deploy Volocopter's eVTOL models - the VoloCity for intracity air taxi services, the VoloRegion for intercity flights within NEOM's regions, and the VoloDrone for cargo transport.

Rather than building large runways, NEOM will rely on eVTOLs and establish safe flight corridors over less populated zones as a model for future sustainable cities, Blond added.

NEOM ordered 15 Volocopter aircraft and invested $175mn in the German firm's funding round in 2022.