Saudi Arabia plans electrical planes to achieve Mecca and new vacationer facilities

A customer inspects a Saudia Airways Lilium electrical vertical take-off and touchdown (eVTOL) plane displayed throughout the International Logistics Discussion board in Riyadh on October 14, 2024. | Picture credit score: AFP

Saudi Arabia’s flag provider is popping to a cash-strapped German firm to purchase electrical planes to serve routes to new luxurious resorts and the holy metropolis of Mecca, an official mentioned.

The Munich-based Lilium aircraft will present direct hyperlinks to hard-to-reach routes alongside the Purple Coastline and transport Muslim pilgrims immediately from Jeddah to Mecca, which has no airport, the affairs supervisor of Saudia Airways communications, Razan Shaker.

“Our technique is that it’s going to assist hyperlink locations and cities that do not have an airport or that perhaps are troublesome to entry,” he mentioned on the sidelines of a logistics discussion board in Riyadh. Plans embrace taking pilgrims to the enduring Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower resort close to Mecca’s Grand Mosque, the place “we’re engaged on making a helipad,” he mentioned. In July, Saudia introduced it might purchase 50 Lilium electrical vertical take-off and touchdown (eVTOL) plane with choices to purchase 50 extra.

The airline is anticipated to start taking supply of the Lilium plane, which seat 4 to 6 passengers and fly as much as 175 kilometers, in 2026. Saudia’s order was “the most important reported agency order for eVTOL plane by any airline.” airline,” in line with an announcement. In the mean time.

Neither Saudia nor Lilium have disclosed the worth of the deal, however Daniel Wiegand, chief innovation engineer at Lilium, mentioned the aircraft sometimes prices between $7 million and $9 million.