The first of its kind in the region

UAE issues pilot license for electric cargo plane

During the announcement of the new license. From the source

The Legislation Lab at the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers issued a license for a cargo aircraft powered by clean electric energy, which aims to promote sustainability approaches, and adopt best practices and modern means to contribute to reducing the carbon footprint by encouraging clean energy and harnessing innovative technology.

According to a statement issued yesterday, the issuance of the pilot license comes within the framework of the laboratory's commitment to provide the legislative environment in the country with the necessary experimental laws and legislations, which keep pace with the rapid developments and changes in various vital sectors, such as mobility, health, three-dimensional printing technologies and artificial intelligence, through an innovative approach that works on experimenting and applying advanced technologies that shape the features of life in the future.

The issuance of the license aims to launch a new generation of cargo aircraft that run on clean energy and without any emissions, in support of the country's efforts to launch initiatives aimed at supporting the economic system and raising its competitiveness, as this step comes in cooperation with UPS Flight Forward and Beta Technologies.

The Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority of Civil Aviation in the UAE, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, stressed the importance of issuing this pilot license and what it constitutes as an advanced step added to the achievements of the UAE in achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, noting that the country, by declaring 2023 as the Year of Sustainability, confirms moving forward in stimulating international action, coordination and cooperation with various governments and organizations in order to reduce climate change and reduce the carbon footprint at the international level.

He also pointed to the importance of the electric cargo plane «ALIA 250», explaining that «it is scheduled to use the drone system in the electric cargo plane, after the end of the trial period for the work of the aircraft, and to ensure that it meets all the required standards and features».

For her part, Minister of State and Secretary General of the Council of Ministers, Maryam Al Hammadi, said that «the Legislation Lab works with a large group of experts that include legislators from federal and local government agencies, as well as the private sector and entrepreneurs, to develop new legislation that contributes to achieving the country's leadership and designing a flexible legislative environment that keeps pace with the requirements of sustainability, and harmonizes the speed of legislation with the speed of innovation in order to support emerging technology».

She stressed that the role of the Legislation Lab is in line with the UAE's directions aimed at strengthening its position as a global destination for adopting emerging technologies, and creating an environment that supports the growth of new sectors that rely on innovation.

Reducing the carbon footprint

The Director General of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, said: "The UAE affirms its constant keenness to enhance international efforts aimed at reducing climate change and reducing the carbon footprint globally by adopting best practices and launching initiatives that contribute to achieving this goal."

Abdullah Bin Touq:

"The drone system is scheduled to be used in the new aircraft after the end of the trial period."