The successful trial of Qatar’s inaugural urban flight featuring an unmanned electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft marked a major milestone in the nation’s commitment to embracing innovative and sustainable mobility solutions.
The event, sponsored and witnessed by His Excellency the Minister of Transport Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla bin Mohammed al-Thani Saturday at the Katara amphitheatre, symbolises Qatar’s forward-thinking approach in leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance transportation systems, ultimately reinforcing its status as a leader in smart urban mobility initiatives.
The air taxi demonstration flight comes within a series of tests, supervised by the Ministry of Transport (MoT), on the technical aspects and future applicability of such technologies.
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The trial air taxi flight took off at the Old Doha Port and landed safely at the Katara Cultural Village. It was successfully conducted without any direct human interference using a full self-control system enabled by AI and advanced air navigation technologies, demonstrating that the system is capable of using the airspace optimally in a safe operational environment.
According to the MoT, it will continue assessing the test results and lay down the regulatory and technical frameworks needed for approving and operating that type of mobility in line with best international standards and in a way that enhances Qatar’s position as a leading global hub in adopting smart and sustainable technologies.
The pilotless air taxi project will be carried out in several consecutive phases, considering all relevant technical, operational, and regulatory requirements, including infrastructure readiness, approval of operational systems, and meeting all safety, security and quality standards to ensure the new mobility system can be safely and effectively integrated into the nation’s mobility network.
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The minister described the trial operation as “a new milestone” in Qatar’s journey of adopting smart and sustainable mobility solutions and constitutes “an advanced step forward” toward a future enabled by innovation and environmentally friendly technologies.
“This emphasises the MoT’s commitment to enhancing Qatar’s regional and international pioneering position in modern transportation and supporting national efforts to reduce carbon emissions and improve the quality of life,” the minister emphasised.
“This initiative,” he said, “is a true translation of the MoT Strategy 2025-2030 that aims at creating a smart, resilient transportation system where sustainability, innovation, and integration between various transportation modes are front and centre, thereby boosting the efficiency of the country’s transportation system and advancing the goals of the Third National Development Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030.”
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The minister noted that the MoT will continue enhancing Qatar’s global profile in deploying smart and emerging technologies in transportation, in partnership with leading global companies, to develop an integrated infrastructure that is capable of accommodating advanced transportation modes in the coming years.
“Saturay’s trial operation was part of the MoT’s initiatives for developing Qatar’s public transportation system by using unmanned eVTOL aircraft as a safe, fast, and eco-friendly urban mobility option that contributes to reducing traffic congestion, and providing smart mobility choices for citizens, residents and visitors, something that says leadership is achieved when technology meets governance,” the minister added.
