Aircraft
Volocopter Flies VoloCity eVTOL Air Taxi in Saudi Arabia
Volocopter recently conducted the first flight trials of its VoloCity eVTOL aircraft in Saudi Arabia.
A crowd watches as the VoloCity aircraft flies over the desert of Saudi Arabia
The first flights of Volocopter's VoloCity eVTOL aircraft over the desert of Saudi Arabia attracted crowds of spectators. (Photo: Volocopter)

Electric air taxi developer Volocopter has successfully conducted its first flight trials in Saudi Arabia, the German company announced Wednesday during the Paris Airshow. According to Volocopter, that marked the first time that an eVTOL aircraft received special flight authorization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Volocopter collaborates with Neom, a government-backed development project in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk province, to introduce urban air mobility services to the region in 2024. As a so-called “smart city,” Neom runs entirely on renewable energy sources. When Volocopter and Neom announced their joint venture in 2021, Neom officials placed a provisional order for 15 Volocopter eVTOL aircraft, including 10 of the two-seat VoloCity model and five of Volocopter’s fully autonomous VoloDrone cargo-carrying model.

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