Saudi Arabia Opens Pathway for Electric Air Taxis - CleanTechnica

Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a pioneering market for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, commonly known as electric air taxis. The country’s aviation regulator, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), has signed an agreement with Archer Aviation to develop a regulatory framework modeled on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Implementation Pilot Program. This initiative aims to enable early operations in major cities like Riyadh and Jeddah, as well as in large-scale projects such as Red Sea Global, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to embrace advanced technologies. The partnership will involve proof-of-concept demonstrations, experimental flights, and efforts to build public acceptance and an operational ecosystem for eVTOL aircraft. Archer Aviation, which recently partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s The Helicopter Company, views this collaboration as a way to safely and quickly bring electric air taxis to market. While the article expresses skepticism about the widespread adoption of electric air taxis globally,