Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser, launched the self-driving air taxi trial on Wednesday at the holy sites, according to a statement from the Transport General Authority.
The inaugural trial, witnessed by GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, featured the vertical take-off of the electric air taxi. The statement highlighted that it is the “world’s first air taxi to be licensed by a civil aviation authority.”
The air taxi services will transport pilgrims between the holy sites, facilitate emergency travel, transport medical equipment, and provide logistical services for goods transportation.
Al-Jasser emphasized that this initiative is part of the ministry’s effort to adopt cutting-edge transportation technologies and environment-friendly models powered by artificial intelligence. These innovations support the sustainability of the modern transportation sector and align with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
“Today marks the activation of one of the most important initiatives of the roadmap for enabling advanced air mobility,” said Al-Duailej. “The use of its modes, including the air taxi, reduces passenger travel time in congested areas, particularly in emergencies, facilitates the transportation of goods and medical supplies, and speeds up surveillance and inspection tasks through drones,” he added.
