MAKKAH: Engineer Saleh Al Jasser, the Saudi Arabian minister of transport and logistics services and chairman of the Board of Directors of General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), has launched a self-driving air taxi trial at the holy sites.
The Saudi authorities have taken another revolutionary step to make Hajj comfortable. The electric air taxi’s inaugural trial, witnessed by GACA President Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, was hailed as the ‘World’s first air taxi to be licensed by a civil aviation authority’ and involved vertical take-off.
Air taxi services facilitate the transportation of pilgrims between holy sites, facilitate emergency travel, transport medical equipment, and provide logistical services for the transportation of goods.
Air taxi services are used to transport pilgrims between holy sites, facilitate emergency travel, transport medical equipment, and provide logistical services for transporting goods.
Al Jasser emphasised that this initiative is part of the ministry’s endeavour to adopt cutting-edge transportation technologies and environment-friendly transportation models powered by artificial intelligence.
These innovations support the sustainability of the modern transportation sector and align with the objectives of the National Transportation and Logistics Strategy, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
Al Duailej stated, “Today marks the activation of one of the most important initiatives of the roadmap for enabling advanced air mobility. 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.” AP
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