Gulf Region Buys Into Advanced Air Mobility Vision

In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, companies are investing time and effort to get eVTOL air services up and running with all-electric aircraft in 2025.

UAE operator Falcon Aviation plans to use Eve's four-passenger eVTOL aircraft for air taxi services starting with flights from Atlantis the Palm resort. (Image: Eve Urban Air Mobility)

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

November 17, 2022

Ambitious, future-obsessed Dubai is just the sort of place you might expect to be an early adopter of so-called advanced air mobility (AAM), including new hybrid- and all-electric eVTOL and eSTOL aircraft used for air taxi services, cargo deliveries, emergency medical support, and other public-service applications. After some early flight demonstrations a few years ago by eVTOL pioneers Volocopter and EHang, the trail appeared to go cold, until June when helicopter and business jet operator Falcon Aviation announced plans to launch eVTOL air-taxi services from the luxury resort Atlantis the Palm in 2026.

Under a partnership with Eve Urban Air Mobility, the operator signed a letter of intent to buy 35 of the manufacturer’s planned four-passenger eVTOL aircraft. Falcon believes its track record as a launch operator for several new helicopter types makes it well qualified to be an early adopter of eVTOL vehicles. According to Falcon COO Raman Oberoi, Eve—which is majority-owned by Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer following an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange—approached Falcon with the proposal to launch services in the Gulf region.

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