The events that occurred in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak affected numerous long-standing practises from the pre-pandemic era, with many sectors involved in the widespread shift. Many passengers in the mobility industry now prefer transit modes seen to be safer and more sanitary, and have adjusted their usage accordingly. In their latest Autonomous Mobility Journal, the third edition of the series, Arthur D. Little (ADL), the top management consulting business with the longest-standing presence in the Middle East area, expands on these and many other results. Exclusive coverage of the newest autonomous mobility advances from around the world is included in the journal, giving light on market dynamics, prominent use cases, and the importance for mobility solution providers and governments to anticipate future trends.
“The ongoing pandemic has caused mass disruption in various industries and transportation is no exemption. There are numerous lessons we can derive from recent events, which is why providing the latest developments while looking ahead is of paramount importance,” explained Joseph Salem, Partner, and travel & transport practice lead, at Arthur D. Little Middle East.
Further said, “The latest edition of Autonomous Mobility report reveals that city governments and transport authorities can have the greatest impact on mobility, with UAE experts shedding light on what the future holds. Looking ahead, innovative projects such as the UAE’s aerial taxi can be leveraged to drive innovation towards more sustainable, resilient and human-centric urban mobility systems.”
The journal provides consumers with a thorough overview of the latest pioneering projects projected to have a transformational impact across the urban landscape in the next years, based on regional and worldwide research. Autonomous Aerial Taxi Services (AATS) is a key use case showcased in the UAE. AATS is a service that transports passengers in an autonomous electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and Dubai is one of the cities attempting to make it a reality. The Autonomous Mobility Journal examines the project’s strategic features and makes ideas for how transportation authorities might improve launch efforts.
“While regulation remains a sizeable air mobility implementation barrier, recent times have seen different approaches pursued by aviation regulators as they strive to introduce AATS, enable faster movement of residents, and ease the exacerbating congestion problem,” said Salem.
Further noted, “This trend applies to the UAE, which continues to make sustained progress. Already, a Notice of Proposed Amendments (NPA) for eVTOL aircraft operations has been released and regulations for aircraft testing developed, with a responsive regulatory environment now apparent. The true potential of technology is undoubtedly complex, yet new thinking and innovative approaches are a combination yielding positive outcomes ahead of mobility sector progression.”
The UAE aspires to provide a seamless and safe experience to passengers in the post-COVID future, with an ambitious goal of making 25% of all transportation trips smart and driverless by 2030. Aqeel Ahmed Al Zarouni, Acting Director of the Policy, Regulation, and Planning Department of the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), highlighted this in the Interview of the Semester segment, where he shared insights about the UAE’s aviation sector and the deployment of urban air mobility (UAM).
Al Zarouni said: “Before 2017, we did not have a regulation in place to enable UAM, so we accommodated a pilot project with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai with a restricted approval for a trial. In July 2019, we came up with a reasonable approach to maintain safety whilst allowing technology growth via the launch of our UAM regulation.”
“This regulation is the first of its kind, and it covers operational, continued airworthiness, vertiport, and security requirements. In the years since, we have completed several achievements to strengthen the aviation industry within the UAE and its upper space, and we will continue collaborating with all stakeholders at national and international levels to ensure harmonization of the regulatory framework for the UAM sector.”
According to the Autonomous Mobility Journal, the COVID-19 epidemic has caused up to one-third of people in some areas to cease utilising public transportation, with lockdowns, the development of remote working, and stay-at-home directives resulting in commuting volume cutbacks. In a post-pandemic situation, some of the restrictions put in place will be dropped when passenger behaviour returns to normal, while others may become the new normal.
