UAE joins Chinese company in flying car initiative

Chinese flying car developer Aridge has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, part of the United Arab Emirates, to jointly establish an advanced air traffic regulatory platform.

Under the supervision of the UAE's civil aviation authorities, the parties will jointly establish an inter-emirate route connecting Abu Dhabi with Ras Al Khaimah.

The collaboration marks a significant breakthrough in the industry, being the first time a Chinese flying car company has entered a national-level regulatory regime in the UAE.

It has also become the world's first regulatory development effort focused on personal low-altitude flight, the company said.

The collaboration signals that the company's expansion into the Middle East market has entered a new phase of systematic and standardized operational validation, said Zhao Deli, founder of Aridge, part of the XPeng Motors ecosystem.

The advanced air traffic regulatory development platform is a government-certified sandbox for air traffic regulation, with the aim of cultivating a comprehensive advanced air traffic industry ecosystem and exploring the development of standardized, replicable and scalable systems for airworthiness regulation, safe operations and commercial use of flying cars.

It aims to establish the UAE as a global benchmark for advanced air traffic, the company said.

Relying on the sandbox's exclusive testing mechanisms and airspace conditions, the company, which is based in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, will conduct flight tests in typical scenarios. The tests will help collect core data on the performance, endurance, airspace adaptability and operational safety risks of the aircraft under special conditions such as high temperatures and sandstorms.

The company will also conduct feasibility studies for commercial applications in such areas as high-end tourism, short-distance urban transport, emergency rescue support and oil platform inspection.