Saudi Arabia witnesses world's first pilotless air taxi service during Hajj

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), along with other government agencies, witnessed the debut of this innovative service as Chinese firm EHang showcased its two-seat autonomous aircraft in Mecca on June 12.

The trial featured EHang’s EH216-S pilotless electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the world’s first licensed autonomous air taxi.

"With the support of GACA and our partner Front End, we've successfully completed the debut flight of our EH216-S pilotless eVTOL in Saudi Arabia! This marks a significant milestone in EHang's ongoing internationalization and an important step forward in propelling global advanced UAM reform. Our flight footprint has now expanded to 16 countries!" EHang announced in a statement.

EHang collaborated with Front End Limited Company (Front End), a Saudi-based enterprise specialising in advanced solutions across various industries, to secure approval for its first eVTOL model in the Saudi market.

Saudi officials reported that over 1.5 million foreign pilgrims had arrived in the country by June 11, with the Hajj pilgrimage taking place from June 14 to June 19.

Majid Alghaslan, chairman and CEO of Front End, emphasised that this initiative is part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 national programme to foster a “Connected Kingdom” and position Saudi Arabia as a hub for innovative transportation solutions in the Middle East.

In line with Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is set to open the King Salman International Airport in Riyadh in the next seven years. The airport, which is anticipated to become one of the biggest airports in the world will be powered by renewable energy, aims to accommodate up to 120 million travellers by 2030 and 185 million travellers by 2050, with the capacity to process 3.5 million tonnes of cargo annually.