Land Aircraft Carrier Air Modules of XPENG AEROHT (ARIDGE) fly at the Emirates Palace in UAE. Photo: Courtesy of ARIDGE

XPENG AEROHT (ARIDGE), the flying car affiliate of Chinese electric vehicle maker XPENG, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah to jointly establish an Advanced Air Mobility regulatory sandbox in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The project is described as the world's first testing sandbox dedicated to personal low-altitude flying cars. 

ARIDGE thus becomes the first Chinese flying car company to enter a national-level regulatory framework of this kind in the Middle East, the company said on Saturday.

Under the sandbox, led by the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority, ARIDGE will carry out flight validation in desert conditions, assess aircraft performance in typical operational scenarios and refine procedures in controlled airspace. At the same time, plans are advancing for a demonstration route linking Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. 

The sandbox and demonstration route form part of ARIDGE's effort to build operational experience for commercial advanced air mobility services in the UAE, the company said. 

As part of its recent activities in the UAE, ARIDGE staged a live formation flight of its modular flying car, the Land Aircraft Carrier, at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Abu Dhabi. 

ARIDGE is among multiple Chinese electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft companies that are expanding overseas. 

EHang, for example, is also eyeing sandbox cooperation with Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka has adopted the sandbox construction plan in August and the company aims to commercialize the sandbox model within four months.

In June, the 2-ton-level cargo eVTOL V2000CG CarryAll, developed by the Shanghai-based AutoFlight, obtained the type recognition certificate issued by the Indonesian General Administration of Civil Aviation.

Some Chinese eVTOL suppliers have started unmanned aircraft delivery services in the regions including the Middle East and Brazil. 

Global Times