MAKKAH — Minister of Transport and Logistics and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser inaugurated the self-driving flying taxi at the Holy Sites on Wednesday. The electric air taxi service, the first of its kind in the world, will be utilized experimentally for the transportation of pilgrims between the Holy Sites of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat for this year's Hajj pilgrimage. The launching ceremony was held in the presence of GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, Deputy Minister of Transport and Logistics Dr. Rumaih Al-Rumaih, Director of Public Security Lt. Gen. Muhammad Al-Bassami, and a number of representatives of the relevant authorities. Air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. The electric plane Lilium is one of the first aircraft that operates entirely on electric power. Referring to the operation of air taxis for this year's Hajj, GACA Chief Al-Duailej said that these unmanned aircraft will be used during this year's Hajj season mainly for emergency services, as well as for the transportation of goods and medical supplies meant for the Hajj pilgrims at the Holy Sites. "Today we are witnessing the activation of one of the most important initiatives of the roadmap to enable advanced air mobility, as the use of its modes, including air taxi, is characterized by reducing the travel time of passengers within crowded areas, especially for emergency cases," he said. The electric air taxi is the first air taxi in the world, licensed by GACA. The flying taxi services would also contribute to facilitating the movement of pilgrims in emergency situations, transporting medical equipment, and providing logistical services through the transport of goods. In his speech at the launching ceremony, Al-Jasser said that the launch of the air taxi experience comes within the transportation and logistics system initiative in applying the latest future transportation technologies, and adopting new and innovative environmentally friendly transportation models that rely on artificial intelligence applications, and support the sustainability of the modern transportation sector and achieve the goals of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services in accordance with the Kingdom's Vision 2030. "The initiatives and projects of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services work to employ modern and advanced technologies, whether air taxi technologies, electric cars, or hydrogen trains," he said. Al-Jasser stressed that the ministry is working to enhance the areas of smart mobility and develop legislation, laws and regulations that enable the use of modern technologies, in addition to providing experimental environments to work on expanding the introduction of various future transportation technologies. He hailed the great and unlimited support from Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman for the projects and initiatives of the transportation and logistics system. In his speech, Al-Duailej said that the civil aviation sector is keen to develop all services in the civil aviation sector in accordance with the directives of the wise leadership by harnessing all efforts and capabilities to serve the guests of God, and in a way that achieves integration with the efforts and the plans undertaken by various other government agencies to provide all facilities to serve the guests of God so that they can perform their rituals in ease and comfort. The air taxi experience is one of the initiatives of the transportation and logistics system among the 32 modern technologies applied for this year's Hajj, as part of the system's efforts to adopt modern technologies and harness them to offer the best ever services for the pilgrims. It is noteworthy that Minister Al-Jasser announced last month that the pilgrims would have the unique experience of benefiting from the service of flying taxis and drones during this year's Hajj season. "These represent highly advanced modes of transportation including taxi applications. There is a race between many specialized companies in the transport sector to provide the best means of transport over the coming years," he said while speaking to media persons after receiving the first batch of foreign pilgrims at Prince Muhammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah on May 9. Earlier, Saudi Arabian Airlines unveiled plans to operate flying taxis in future to ferry Hajj pilgrims between King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and hotels in Makkah. Saudia intends to buy around 100 aircraft to operate the service. During last January, Abdullah Al-Shahrani, director of corporate communications and spokesman of the Saudia Group, said that the Saudi national carrier is making preparations to use air taxis as a new mode of transportation during the Hajj season. He said that the Saudia Group has contracted the purchase of 100 Lilium jets, German electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, to shuttle between the Jeddah airport and airstrips in Makkah hotels near the Grand Mosque and other holy places.
