VPorts has announced a partnership with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) to create the world’s first AAM integrator center in Dubai with the facility expected to begin operations in 2024.
VPorts has signed a 25-year exclusive lease agreement with MBRAH, renewable for a further 25 years, to establish the state-of-the-art AAM center on a 37,000-square-meter site within Dubai South. The project, which represents an initial investment of $40 million over three years, is expected to generate $7 billion in direct revenues in Dubai and Abu Dhabi combined, over the next 25 years and create 1,500 high-quality jobs. Development and construction of the AAM integrator world centre will start in 2023.
The project will include dedicated flight-testing airspace, assigned blocked airspace, and new technologies which will foster the global growth of the international AAM industry and are expected to accelerate the certification of eVTOL aircraft.
As part of the agreement, VPorts will partner with private investors to deliver advanced infrastructure, development, and operations. Multiple revenue streams and opportunities will be pursued and leveraged across all phases of development, from project conceptualization through design, development, and long-term implementation. USA-based NEXA Capital Partners of Washington, DC, will lead the initial investment round, assembling a consortium of investors already active in the AAM sector.
Tahnoon Saif, CEO of Mohammed Bin Rashid Aerospace Hub, said: “Our mandate at MBRAH is to attract top global players in the aviation sector to establish their presence in the emirate and operate as part of our overall ecosystem. We are pleased to sign this agreement with VPorts to launch the first-of-its-kind integrator world centre, which will enable and support worldwide eVTOL manufacturers and operators with flight testing facilities in all conditions. It will also help position Dubai as a world leader in advanced air mobility. We will spare no effort in supporting VPorts so it can prosper, succeed, and connect with different stakeholders.”
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said: “GCAA’s strategic plan is to build a sustainable and innovative cluster for the Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem to thrive and grow this new entrant mode of air transportation globally from a hub right here in Dubai. As a leading civil aviation organization, we are reshaping the regulatory landscape to leverage the presence of the principal project partners in Dubai to enable innovation and to foster AAM-related technology and know-how capacity building in the UAE and across the world. We aim to build an efficient and sustainable framework that supports the growth and integration of AAM.”
Dr. Fethi Chebil, CEO and Founder of VPorts, commented: “With this milestone agreement, Dubai has underlined its leadership to the Advanced Air Mobility sector. This is a landmark day that brings future mobility one step closer to reality. VPorts is thrilled to be leading the development of this first and only AAM integrator world centre. Our presence in Dubai is aligned with our strategy and ambition to build and operate 1,500 vertiports around the world by 2045.”
As part of the Dubai AAM integrator facility, VPorts will deploy its Vertiport Operation Control Centre (VOCC) hub. The VOCC will have the capacity to manage air traffic integration and set up communication protocols between eVTOLs, vertiports and Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSP). It will also leverage artificial intelligence to assess data related to resource management, ensuring efficient, timely decision-making processes for all eVTOLs landing, taking off from, or flying to any vertiport in an eventual global network of sites. Using state-of-the-art technology, the VOCC will also have the capacity to manage non-flight-related operations, including cargo, personnel and airside management, commercial activities, security screening, cybersecurity, ground handling and aircraft charging.
Plans are also progressing to grow UAE’s network of vertiports, by 2030, the network is expected to extend to all major industrial areas across the region, using eVTOL aircraft as a sustainable transport solution. VPorts’ UAE network of vertiports will focus on locations that optimize multimodal transportation connectivity, including Dubai South, Jebel Ali, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al-Khaimah.
Dr. Chebil added: “We are excited to build the first vertiport network connecting major UAE industrial areas. Similar to heliports, the vertiports will be designed for take-off and landing by eVTOLs. Our initial growth strategy is based on the regional transportation of goods and the efficient movement of patients, organs for transplants and medical equipment. Logically, the first places to set up vertiports are existing helipads. Industrial and cargo areas are also excellent options to consider. We look forward to collaborating with each and every Emirate to define the location of dedicated vertiports, safety and security regulations, flight corridors, urban integration and business community engagement for this important undertaking.”
