Abu Dhabi set to launch air taxi services by 2026 with new hybrid heliport
Listen to article
The United Arab Emirates has taken a significant leap toward integrating air taxis into its transport network, with the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) granting design approval for the country's first hybrid heliport. The facility, to be constructed at the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal at Zayed Port, will cater to both traditional helicopters and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Announced on Wednesday, the hybrid heliport is the first of its kind in the region and is a key component in the UAE's vision of a connected, sustainable urban mobility ecosystem. The initiative is being developed through a strategic partnership involving AD Ports Group, Falcon Aviation Services, and US-based Archer Aviation.
'The hybrid heliport will serve as a key launch point for the Abu Dhabi Air Taxi service, planned for rollout by 2026, connecting key locations across the city with quiet and efficient air mobility solutions,' the GCAA confirmed in a statement.
The location was selected for its strategic value. Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, one of the busiest hubs for the regional cruise industry, hosts over 650,000 visitors annually and provides direct access to cultural landmarks including the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Saadiyat Cultural District.
The new heliport will accommodate aircraft such as Archer's Midnight, an all-electric air taxi designed for short-distance urban travel. Archer has identified Abu Dhabi as a key early market, with test flights of the Midnight expected to begin this summer.
Nikhil Goel, Chief Commercial Officer at Archer Aviation, highlighted the advantages of integrating with existing infrastructure. 'Currently, there are more than 70 helipads in Abu Dhabi. So, there's a really great opportunity,' he said. 'We plan to leverage the existing helipads, then add electrification to those facilities so that we can go launch quickly and scale up rapidly with minimal capital.'
The project also marks a world-first on the regulatory front. The GCAA is the first civil aviation authority globally to develop specific regulatory standards for hybrid infrastructure — ensuring the safe and seamless operation of both helicopters and eVTOLs from the same platform. These standards are expected to be published by July 2025.
'Through our close collaboration with Archer, AD Ports Group, and Falcon Aviation Services, we are enabling a future where sustainable, high-tech air transport becomes a core part of our urban landscape,' said GCAA Director-General Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi. 'This approval represents a new era for civil aviation, driven by partnership and vision.'
Archer CEO and co-founder Adam Goldstein echoed the sentiment: 'Leveraging existing aviation assets is a cornerstone of our launch strategy. It allows us to move both quickly and safely — getting critical infrastructure ready ahead of our planned commercial air taxi launch.'
Currently, Falcon Aviation Services already offers heli-tours from the Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal, giving visitors panoramic views of the city. The addition of eVTOL air taxis promises to transform these skies into arteries of urban transportation, marking a bold new chapter in the UAE's aviation ambitions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Modi's tax overhaul to strain finances but boost image amid US trade tensions
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's deepest tax cuts in eight years will strain government revenues but are winning praise from businesses and political pundits who say they will bolster his image in an ongoing trade fight with Washington. In the biggest tax overhaul since 2017, Modi's government on Saturday announced sweeping changes to the complex goods and services tax (GST) regime which will make daily essentials and electronics cheaper from October, helping consumers and also companies like Nestle, Samsung and LG Electronics. At the same time, in his Independence Day speech on Friday, Modi urged Indians to use more goods made domestically, echoing calls from many of his supporters to boycott U.S. products after Donald Trump hiked tariffs on imports from India to 50% as of August 27. The tax cut plan comes with costs given GST is a major revenue generator. IDFC First Bank says the cuts will boost India's GDP by 0.6 percentage points over 12 months but will cost the state and federal government $20 billion annually. But it will improve weak stock market sentiment and bring political dividends for Modi ahead of a critical state election in the eastern state of Bihar, said Rasheed Kidwai, a fellow at New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation. 'GST reduction will impact everyone, unlike cuts to income tax, which is paid by only 3%-4% of the population. Modi is doing this as he is under a lot of pressure due to U.S. policies,' said Kidwai. 'The move will also help the stock market, which is now politically important as it has a lot of retail investors.' Indian PM Modi vows to protect farmers, pushes self-reliance amid Trump tariff tensions India launched the major tax system in 2017 that subsumed local state taxes into the new, nationwide GST to unify its economy for the first time. But the biggest tax reform since India's independence faced criticism for its complex design that taxes products and services under four slabs - 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%. Last year, India said caramel popcorn would be taxed at 18% but the salted category at 5%, triggering criticism about a glaring example of GST's complexities. Under the new system, India will abolish the 28% slab - which includes cars and electronics - and move nearly all of the items under the 12% category to the lower 5% slab, benefitting many more consumer items and packaged foods. India PM Modi vows October cuts to goods and services tax Government data shows the 28% and 12% tax slabs together garner 16% of India's annual GST revenue of roughly $250 billion last fiscal year. 'A brighter gift' and politics Bihar is a key state politically and goes to the polls by November. A recent survey by the VoteVibe agency showed Modi's opposition has an edge largely because of a lack of jobs. 'Any tax cut has wide public appreciation. But of course, the timing is purely determined by political exigencies,' said Dilip Cherian, a communications consultant and co-founder of Indian public relations firm Perfect Relations. 'It seems to be an indication of some mixture of frustration as well as recognition that there is a broad public pushback against high and crippling rates of taxation.' Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has seized on his tax announcement, posting on X that on the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, 'a brighter gift of simpler taxes and more savings is waiting for every Indian.' Modi has vowed to protect farmers, fishermen and cattlemen, following Trump's surprise tariff announcement on India, after trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed over disagreement on opening India's vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases. The latest round of trade talks between the two nations set for August 25-29 has also been called off.
Business Recorder
5 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Air Canada to resume flights after govt directive ends strike
TORONTO: Air Canada said it will resume flying on Sunday after the country's industrial relations board ordered an end to a strike by 10,000 flight attendants that effectively shut down the airline and snarled summer travel. The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) 'directed Air Canada to resume airline operations and for all Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flight attendants to resume their duties by 14:00 EDT on August 17, 2025,' the airline said in a statement. While it plans to resume flights on Sunday evening, Canada's flag carrier warned it would take 'several days before its operations return to normal.' Some flights are still set to be cancelled over the next seven to 10 days, it added. Air Canada cabin crew walked off the job early Saturday over a wage dispute. Hours later, Canada's labor policy minister, Patty Hajdu, invoked a legal provision to halt the strike and force both sides into binding arbitration. Air Canada set to shut down over flight attendants strike 'The directive, under section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, and the CIRB's order, ends the strike at Air Canada that resulted in the suspension of more than 700 flights,' the Montreal-based carrier said. The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which is representing the workers, sought wage increases as well as to address uncompensated ground work, including during the boarding process. It had previously said its members would remain on strike until the government formally issued an order that they return to work. It had urged passengers not to go to the airport if they had a ticket for Air Canada or its lower-cost subsidiary Air Canada Rouge. While it did not immediately issue a response to the back-to-work directive, the CUPE earlier slammed the Canadian government's intervention as 'rewarding Air Canada's refusal to negotiate fairly by giving them exactly what they wanted.' 'This sets a terrible precedent,' it said. The union also pointed out that the chairwoman of CIRB, Maryse Tremblay, previously worked as legal counsel for Air Canada. Tremblay's ruling on whether to end the strike was 'an almost unthinkable display of conflict-of-interest,' the union posted on Facebook. On Thursday, Air Canada detailed the terms offered to cabin crew, indicating a senior flight attendant would on average make CAN$87,000 ($65,000) by 2027. CUPE has described Air Canada's offers as 'below inflation (and) below market value.' In a statement issued before the strike began, the Business Council of Canada warned an Air Canada work stoppage would exacerbate the economic pinch already being felt from US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Canada's flag carrier counts around 130,000 daily passengers and flies directly to 180 cities worldwide.
Business Recorder
11 hours ago
- Business Recorder
US-India trade talks scheduled for August called off, source says
A planned visit by US trade negotiators to New Delhi from August 25-29 has been called off, a source said, delaying talks on a proposed trade agreement and dashing hopes of relief from additional US tariffs on Indian goods from August 27. The current round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement is now likely to be deferred to another date that has yet to be decided, the source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The US embassy in New Delhi said it has no additional information on the trade and tariff talks, which are being handled by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Missed signals, lost deal: How India-US trade talks collapsed India's trade ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters email seeking comments. Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations. The new import tax, which will come into effect from August 27, will raise duties on some Indian exports to as high as 50% - among the highest levied on any US trading partner. Trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed after five rounds of negotiations over disagreement on opening India's vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases. In India, Trump's tariffs spark calls to boycott American goods India's Foreign Ministry has said the country is being unfairly singled out for buying Russian oil while the United States and European Union continue to purchase goods from Russia.
