On July 24, Finance Link News reported that the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia has signed a cooperation agreement with German electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Lilium at the Farnborough International Airshow, marking an important step forward for Saudi Arabia in promoting its advanced air travel (AAM) roadmap.

Last week, Lilium confirmed that it will launch its business in Saudi Arabia and signed a landmark agreement with the first national airline of Saudi Arabia, Saudia, planning to provide up to 100 eVTOL aircraft to the latter. This formal agreement was reached based on the preliminary framework agreement by the end of 2022, marking Saudia as the first airline in the region to invest in sustainable air travel.

The signed memorandum of understanding aims to support the development of AAM solutions in Saudi Arabia by GACA and promote the integration of the electric vertical takeoff and landing industry with the existing aviation system and other modes of transportation.

This cooperation is part of GACA's collaboration with global stakeholders and enterprises in building a national AAM strategy that includes regulatory frameworks to ensure the safe and effective integration of AAM technology into the existing system. During the implementation phase, the focus will be on integrating eVTOL operations with the existing aviation system and other modes of transportation.

The newly signed memorandum of understanding is consistent with GACA's commitment to actively collaborate with global enterprises in introducing new aviation solutions for Saudi Arabia.

This cooperation comes at a time when GACA's AAM roadmap is showing strong growth momentum, and recent successful air taxi trial projects have provided strong support for this.