Setec plans big for flying taxi takeoff in the Kingdom

France’s Setec eyes flying taxi takeoff in the kingdom: French engineering firm Setec Group is working on what it’s calling a “sustainable urban air mobility concept” for Saudi Arabia, Patrick Bteich, a Setec’s partner, told Arab News in an interview earlier this week.

What we know: A preliminary feasibility study for the project is currently underway for Riyadh to test the viability of urban air taxis in connecting the capital with Diriyah and Qiddiyah, Bteich said. “The service might be implemented in the coming years, to ease the road infrastructure, and for fast transit between the different centralities,” he said.

There are caveats, of course: “Air mobility needs special permits from various ministries,and you need to work on corridors to mitigate security issues … from pilot to the implementation, it can take a few years depending on the regulation. But it’s a project that could be developed for Vision 2030,” Bteich said.

Not the first dance with Setec: Setec is involved in several sustainable projects in the Kingdom, including King Salman Park, which is slated to be the largest urban park in the world, and the development of metro lines. Others include the Royal Commission for Al Ula (RCU), and the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), according to Setec’s official website.

REMEMBER- The still-embryonic concept of urban air mobility has been gaining steam in the Kingdom,with Neom and German flying taxi maker Volocopter having successfully tested the kingdom’s first electric air taxi. Neom Investment Fund committed some USD 175 mn to Volocopter last year.

What are eVTOLs again? These drone-like aircraft use electric propulsion and large omnidirectional fans to allow them to takeoff vertically, making them energy efficient, (reasonably) quiet, environmentally friendly, and eventually pilotless. Beyond their use as air taxis, the vehicles are expected to be able to operate on an inter-city basis and even be used for cargo shipping.

And one more is in the works: Budget airline Flynas and Brazilian electric aircraft maker Eve Air Mobility want to roll out eVTOLs in Riyadh and Jeddah in 2026. The two inked an agreement in late November on the potential rollout of eVTOL aircraft and will study whether they can roll out the product as early as 2026.