Saudi Arabian energy group
Aramco is investing in Terra Drone to boost its ambitions in advanced air
mobility business models, including drone and eVTOL aircraft operations, as a
path to diversifying its economy. (Image: Terra Drone)
SAUDI OIL GIANT BACKS DRONE OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT GROUP
TERRA DRONE
·
JANUARY 25, 2023
Saudi Arabia is stepping up its bid
for a stake in the advanced air mobility sector, with Wa’ed Ventures, the
venture capital arm of oil and gas giant Aramco, this week investing $14
million in drone operations and uncrewed traffic management (UTM) group Terra
Drone. The Japan-based company, which has previously raised $83 million, will
now establish a subsidiary in Saudi Arabia to develop services such as drone
surveys and develop infrastructure that could support eVTOL aircraft
operations.
The new
Terra Drone Arabia business unit is an extension of the group’s network across
nine other countries and including its European division Unifly. With partners
including Indra and Frequentis, the group has run flight operations and UTM
management contracts in Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany,
Bulgaria, Austria, Spain, and Malawi. It is also now seeking to expand in both
Southeast Asia and North America.
Through
its Vision 2030 program, the Saudi government is seeking to nudge the country’s
economy beyond its dependence on the energy sector. This strategy includes
the Neom regional development project that
will see the construction of a vast “industrial city” for which a ground-up
transportation network is expected to include eVTOL air taxis and drone
delivery services.
In
October 2022, government-controlled Saudi Arabian Airlines signed
an agreement with eVTOL aircraft developer Lilium that could see it acquire 100 of its Lilium Jets.
The airline said it intends to use the six-passenger vehicles to provide
point-to-point connections and feeder flights into its main hub airports.
Unifly,
which competes with UTM providers such as Air Map and Altitude Angel, has been
a partner in the European Union-backed Gulf of Finland U-Space project
to support the integration of drones and eVTOL aircraft into controlled
airspace. In early 20021, this work included live flight trials in which Volocopter’s eVTOL technology demonstrator operated
alongside scheduled airlines at Helsinki International Airport.
In its
home country, Terra Drone is involved in work to prepare for the 2025 Osaka
Expo in the southwest of Japan. For this project, the company has just embarked
on a new round of UTM demonstration trials with the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency.
According
to company director Teppei Seki, oil and gas companies are a large part of
Terra Drone’s customer base, and increasingly these entities are looking to
invest in drone operators. He sees opportunities to support these companies, as
well as sectors such as construction where there is a need for extensive
inspection flights.
“We
also want to be partners to eVTOL aircraft manufacturers and this could include
providing UTM for air taxi operations,” he told FutureFlight. The company, which was established
in 2016, has had talks with Chinese eVTOL pioneer EHang about possible
cooperation.
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