The Dubai-based private aviation operator Air Chateau has ordered 10 electric flying cars from European mobility solution provider Crisalion Mobility to operate as air taxi services in the UAE in 2030.
It is a European company’s first commercial partnership in the Middle East.
Crisalion’s Integrity air taxi, which is currently under development, can accommodate up to five passengers and a pilot and caters to urban and intercity passenger and cargo transport needs. It has a speed of 180 kilometres per hour and a range of 130km based on the current battery technology.
“Integrity aircraft has an entry into Service in 2030. From that moment on, we will start delivering our first units to our different customers,” said Manuel Heredia, general manager at Crisalion Mobility.
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The UAE and Saudi Arabia are aggressively expanding into air mobility by introducing air taxis as these new modern transport systems will substantially reduce travel time. Currently, Joby and Archer Aviation are in the process of launching their flying cars along with their UAE partners next year.
“Dubai is a key region for this kind of new mobility and will be one of our first markets where we are already picking up passengers with our helicopters from UHNWI and VVIP. We are likewise extremely honoured and delighted by the support of Dubai South and the stakeholders of UAE for aligning us with their vision which would not have been possible otherwise,” said Samir Mohamed, chairman of Air Chateau.
After Dubai, Mohamed said they would look at parts of the Middle East, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Europe for expansion.
The UAE firm’s order of 10 Integrityair taxis or eVTOLs at Farnborough International Airshow 2024 in the UK expands Crisalion’s conditional pre-order book to 125 aircraft in less than a year.
The two companies will jointly work to launch air taxis across major cities in the region including Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The companies said that the agreement could also expand to joint projects in Europe.
“This partnership opens not only the door to a strategic region for Crisalion, but will also form part of Air Chateau’s approach to providing sustainable air travel services to its customers,” said Manuel Heredia, general manager, Crisalion Mobility.
Samir Mohamed, chairman of Air Chateau, said the launch of air taxis will alleviate the burden on legacy ground infrastructure, complement existing transportation networks, reduce congestion and build a sustainable future.