Thousands of FlyNow e‑Copters are to transport the public around the Riyadh World Expo in 2030, reports Mohammed AlQahtani, CEO of Saudi Arabia Holding Co on his Linkedin page. FlyNow, an electric aviation company based in Salzburg, Austria, is set to enhance mobility and sustainability during this major event.
Yvonne Winter, the company’s co-Founder and COO, has revealed that FlyNow Aviation is opening a Regional Office and later a Production Line in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in a few months time.
Key features of the eCopter include two versions: a one and two seater with the latter capable of carrying 200 kg. Powered by batteries, future editions will use a hybrid power of electric and hydrogen. The electric can cover 50 km on one charge, whereas the hybrid offers 200 km with a flight speed of up to 130 km/h.
There will be an initial focus on transporting cargo to minimise risks before transitioning to passengers. The company aims to collaborate with Middle East regulatory bodies and Government groups to establish laws, digital infrastructure and vertiports.
This includes the Sky Alliance for Automated Air Mobility (SALAAM) who will be supporting FlyNow by supplying the ecosystem that is required in order to realise such ambitions. The roll-out of infrastructure particularly vertiports, is key to creating a new automated approach that changes the transport paradigm. Skyroads, for example, who “build roads in the sky” will help to unify traffic management systems in Saudi Arabia that are both safe and scalable.
Eng. Badr M. Burshaid, President of the Project Management Institute KSA Chapter and FlyNow co-Founder, Yvonne Winter, at the Riyadh-based Global Project Management Forum, in June
FlyNow’s initiatives align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which places the Kingdom at the forefront of urban air mobility.
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