Status: 01.12.2021 5:03 p.m.
The Baden-Württemberg company Volocopter is to deliver aircraft for the megacity Neom planned in Saudi Arabia, which will transport passengers and goods. The partners have set up a joint venture for this purpose.
The name should mean “new future” – Neom is called a model region in Saudi Arabia, roughly from the area of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in which a sustainable mega-city with technology parks is to be built. This should also include air taxis and transport drones – which could become a lucrative business for the Baden-Württemberg company Volocopter.
Volocopter has now set up a joint venture with the Saudis. The Germans should be the sole operator of the first routes in the new megacity and create an open platform for “vertical mobility services including logistics, emergency operations and tourism”.
“Through the joint venture with Volocopter, we are showing the world that Neom is the ideal region for the rapid implementation of urban air transport projects and for the creation of an integrated vertical mobility system,” said Neom Managing Director Nadhmi Al-Nasr.
Order for ten air taxis
For this purpose, Neom has commissioned a fleet of ten air taxis called “VoloCity” for passenger operations and five “Volodrons” for goods transport from Volocopter. The Saudis wanted to become a pioneer in the use of electrically powered aircraft that can take off and land vertically, says Volocopter. The “Volodrone” equipped with 18 rotors is an unmanned, electrically powered drone that can transport goods weighing up to 200 kilograms – with a range of 40 kilometers.
In October, Volocopter launched a self-developed heavy-duty drone in Hamburg for the first time. The test flight, which lasted around three minutes, took place in the port area of the Hanseatic city. Volocopter wants to use such drones together with the logistics group DB Schenker. The rail subsidiary joined Volocopter as an investor last year in order to bring the cargo drone to market maturity.
First use planned in Paris in 2024
The “VoloCity” air taxis offer space for two passengers and luggage. They are to be used for the first time during the Summer Olympics in Paris in 2024. With a range of 35 km and a flight speed of up to 110 km / h, they are the “ideal on-demand air taxi” for the city center, according to the company.
A completely car-free settlement called “The Line” is also planned within the megacity Neom – which will extend over a length of 170 kilometers. There are no cars, roads or CO2 emissions planned there. Places of daily life – such as schools, health centers, leisure facilities and green spaces – should be reachable in a maximum of five minutes on foot. A completely automated traffic network is to be created for longer distances.