By Chris Stonor
Airbus and The Helicopter Company (THC) have signed an agreement to introduce urban air mobility (UAM) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as to continue expanding helicopter activities, reports a press release. This comes as an additional step toward the co-creation of an UAM ecosystem in the Kingdom.
This agreement includes the use of sustainable aviation fuels for conventional helicopters, as well as the introduction of UAM services in the country for a variety of mission segments, such as emergency medical services, eco-tourism and private/business aviation.
Bruno Even
Airbus and THC already have an existing strong partnership as the company operates 10 H125s, recently added 20 five-bladed H145s (with an option for an additional ten aircraft) and six ACH160 helicopters (with an option for an additional four) to its fleet.
Captain Arnaud Martinez, CEO of THC, commented, “This is a significant move toward the introduction and efficient operations of cleaner helicopters and advanced technologies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are pleased to be a part of this unique opportunity to contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions in the urban transportation market together with Airbus.”
Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, added, “We are looking forward to working closely with THC to further develop our strong commitment to the decarbonisation of our customers’ missions.”
Since 2014, Airbus has been exploring how electric propulsion can help drive the development of new kinds of aerial vehicles. In September 2021, the Company unveiled its fully electric eVTOL prototype, CityAirbus NextGen.
The release states, “Airbus is developing a UAM solution with eVTOLs not only to offer a new mobility service in urban areas and beyond, but also as an important step in its quest to reduce emissions in aviation all over its product range.”
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