Boeing Saudi Arabia launches study into autonomous aircraft

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation regulator has signed an agreement with US planemaker Boeing to study the feasibility of introducing autonomous aircraft in the kingdom.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Boeing Saudi Arabia and the General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca).

The initiative will be supported by SkyGrid, a Boeing-owned airspace management company, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust).

“The launch of this feasibility analysis represents an important step towards enabling a safe, scalable, and future-ready advanced air mobility ecosystem in the kingdom,” said Sulaiman Almuhaimedi, executive vice president of aviation safety and environmental sustainability at Gaca.

An analysis will be conducted to identify the required air traffic management technology and infrastructure to support automated vehicles designed to transport passengers and cargo at low altitudes.

Kaust, which signed an MoU with SkyGrid in November to develop advanced air mobility technologies and operations in Saudi Arabia, will provide research and technical expertise, the statement said.

In November, US aircraft manufacturer Joby Aviation announced plans to deploy air taxis in Saudi Arabia as Gaca aligns its regulations with US certification standards.

• Neom-backed Volocopter delays rollout of air taxis
• Gulf races ahead on infrastructure for flying taxis
• Saudia weighs Boeing and Airbus options for new order