VPorts & Partner To Build First Vertiport In Ras Al Khaimah

VPorts To Build And Operate First Vertiport

In a statement, the company said that the vertiport will be designed in a manner that will establish the UAE as a global AAM hub.

It added that the RAK Vertiport will be established on a 10,000 sq. m site and will be designed for all types of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Report mentioned, it also stated that the vertiport will be opened for all types of eVTOL manufacturers, and that its initial growth strategy will be based around the regional transportation of goods, tourism, and the efficient movement of patients, organs for transplants, and medical equipment.

‘‘With the support of the Department of Civil Aviation of Ras Al-Khaimah, we are excited to build and operate the first vertiport at Ras Al Khaimah Airport. This project will enable all AAM partners to accelerate the adoption and deployment of advanced air mobility in RAK and throughout the UAE,” said Dr. Fethi Chebil, president and founder of VPorts.

He added that the RAK vertiport is aligned with VPort’s strategy in the UAE and the rest of the world. By 2030, he stated that the company plans to extend its vertiport network to all major industrial areas across the UAE. This will not only provide a sustainable transportation solution, but will also focus on locations that optimise multimodal transportation connectivity, such as Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai South, Jebal Ali, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.

“We look forward to collaborating with each and every emirate to define the location of dedicated vertiports as well as safety and security regulations, flight corridors, urban integration and business community engagement for this important undertaking,’’ said Dr. Chebil.

It added, HH Eng. Salem bin Sultan Al Qasimi, chairman, Department of Civil Aviation, Ras Al Khaimah, said that the project was in line with the vision of Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and highlighted that the project was aligned with the emirate’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040, which aims to achieve at least 30% savings in electricity consumption, and a 20% contribution from renewable energy by 2040.

“We are committed to supporting the VPorts project and to enable AAM related innovation and technology and know-how capacity building in the UAE and in RAK,” he continued.

In December 2022, VPorts announced the signing of a 25-year exclusive lease agreement with the Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub (MBRAH), renewable for a further 25 years, to establish a state-of-the-art integrator centre on a 37,000-square-metre site within Dubai South.

Development and construction of the centre will start in 2023 and it is expected to begin operations and conduct its first flight test in 2024. It will be the first AAM integrator world centre and will feature a dedicated flight-testing airspace and new technologies, VPorts said.

According to the report, RAK vertiport to foster global growth of AAM industry Chebil added that the facility will also help foster the global growth of the international AAM industry, and the certification of eVTOL aircraft.

Ralf Schustereder, CEO of Ras Al-Khaimah Airport, added that the agreement with VPorts was a sign of the airport’s ambition to be a leading enabler of RAK’s economic and tourism growth.

“This project will position RAK Airport as part of a development plan and key player in advanced air mobility in RAK. We will provide VPorts with our full support to ensure its success and prosperity,” he said.

VPorts said that it will deploy its Vertiport Operation Control Centre (VOCC) as part of the AAM integrator world centre in Dubai with the support of the MBRAH and the GCAA. 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).

As part of this major undertaking, VPorts will work with an extended partner network to engage with key strategic poles of expertise, including eVTOL manufacturing, flight simulation and training, regulators, air navigation service providers, technology service providers, operators, electric charging manufacturers and urban planners, the statement continued, said the report.

In March 2023, the company announced an initial set of agreements with key AAM players as part of its development plan to built and operate the AAM World Integrator Centre in Dubai. The agreements were signed with Electra.aero, Falcon Aviation, and SkyDrive.

The companies have joined the centre to be part of VPorts’ strategy to develop the GCC market and deploy its expertise in the region.