Qatar conducts first successful trial of unmanned air taxi

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has achieved a major milestone in advanced mobility with the successful trial of its first unmanned eVTOL urban flight, marking a s...

Doha, Qatar: Qatar has achieved a major milestone in advanced mobility with the successful trial of its first unmanned eVTOL urban flight, marking a significant step toward integrating cutting-edge autonomous air transport technologies into the nation’s future mobility landscape.

Minister of Transport H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed Al Thani yesterday witnessed the successful trial of the first-ever urban flight with unmanned eVTOL in Qatar, in a step that reflects the country’s pioneering vision of adopting smart and sustainable mobility solutions.

The air taxi demonstration flight comes within a series of tests, supervised by the Ministry of Transport (MoT), on the technical aspects and future applicability of such technologies.

The trial air taxi flight was conducted between the Old Doha Port and the Katara Cultural Village. It was successfully conducted without any direct human interference using a full self-control system enabled by AI and advanced air navigation technologies. This shows the system is capable of using the airspace optimally in a safe operational environment.

The MoT will continue assessing the test results and lay down the regulatory and technical frameworks needed for approving and operating that type of mobility in line with best international standards and in a way that enhances Qatar’s position as a leading global hub in adopting smart and sustainable technologies.