Dubai Airshow 2023 to focus on $110bn flying taxi market

Image credit: Anthony WALLACE/ Getty Images

Dubai Airshow 2023 is set to spotlight the famed flying taxi market as the city is paving the way for the growth of disruptive methods of aerial transportation that are fast becoming the future of aviation.

Dubai Airshow has confirmed that advanced aerial mobility (AAM) will be an integral part of the upcoming edition that will take place from November 13 to 17 at Dubai World Central.

The international aerospace event attracts global industry players and thought leaders from across aerospace, space and defence later this year to showcase the latest innovative solutions, share insights and discuss the current and future trends shaping these industries.

With the industry and the region setting AAM firmly on the agenda for the future of air transportation, the 18^th edition of Dubai Airshow is expected to boost the momentum and further cement Dubai’s pioneering status in this market.

The rapid growth in the advanced air mobility market has seen an influx of new inventive air freight and passenger transport solutions, along with new regulations, resources and infrastructure. The market is expected to be valued at $16.81bn by 2025 to hit the $110.02bn mark in 2035.

“As a pioneer in this market, Dubai is the perfect place for global industry trailblazers to gather, ready to highlight the latest technologies and discuss the trends and solutions that will chart the way forward and transform how we travel,” Tim Hawes, managing director of Tarsus F&E told the state news agency, WAM.

Dubai is expecting to welcome new and returning exhibitors as well as visitors who will have the opportunity to explore a host of aerial transport solutions, including drones, UAVs, UAMs and eVTOLs.

Dubai Airshow 2023 will host an eVTOL flying display to further highlight the capabilities of these future transport methods.

Dubai’s urban air mobility capabilities

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai approved models of aerial taxi vertiports that are being developed in the city in February as the futuristic city is planning for the takeoff of flying taxis by 2026.

The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH) at Dubai South also agreed to establish the world’s first AAM integrator world centre in Dubai, as the world’s first vertiport certification process is currently underway as part of the project.

Similarly, VPorts applied for the certification process for its vertiports in the MBRAH in June. The advanced air mobility infrastructure construction and operation firm also plans to build Ras Al-Khaimah’s first vertiport.

Chinese electronic carmaker Xpeng completed the first public test flight of its two-seater flying car in Dubai in 2021, joining dozens of eVTOL aircraft under development globally. These developments are expected to facilitate the growth of the urban air mobility industry in the UAE.

With 68 per cent of the world population expected to be urbanised by 2030, population growth is creating a significant need for innovative mobility options as ground infrastructure is becoming heavily congested.

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