Consortium Launches AAM Feasibility Study for Saudi Arabia

A new analysis backed by Boeing Saudi Arabia, GACA, SkyGrid, and KAUST aims to transition the Kingdom’s airspace from traditional flight rules to fully automated operations

Story and Image Credit: Joe Macey
www.aaminternational.com

SkyGrid, a Boeing company, has announced the activation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Boeing Saudi Arabia and the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to launch an Advanced Air Mobility airspace and operational feasibility analysis.

Working alongside King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the initiative will assess the operational and regulatory viability of Advanced Air Mobility in Saudi Arabia. The project is designed to support the implementation of the GACA AAM Roadmap and establish a pathway toward future Automated Flight Rules operations across the Kingdom.

The feasibility analysis will evaluate AAM routes, cooperative airspace areas, communication, navigation, and surveillance infrastructure, as well as associated vertiports and airports. This evaluation aims to demonstrate the viability of safe and sustainable AAM operations for both piloted and remotely piloted aerial vehicles. The framework will address operations under Visual Flight Rules and Instrument Flight Rules, with the ultimate goal of transitioning to AFR for fully autonomous flight. Modeled on Boeing’s Concept of Operations for Automated Flight Rules, the study focuses on medium-density, medium-complexity operations utilizing collaborative automated systems.

Captain Sulaiman Almuhaimedi, Executive Vice President of Aviation Safety and Environmental Sustainability at GACA, said, “The activation of this MoU and the launch of this feasibility analysis represent an important step toward enabling a safe, scalable, and future-ready Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This initiative reflects GACA’s commitment to advancing innovation while maintaining the highest levels of safety and operational integrity. We look forward to collaborating with Boeing Saudi Arabia, SkyGrid, and KAUST to support the implementation of the GACA AAM Roadmap through the development of practical regulatory and operational frameworks that will help shape the future of air mobility and contribute to the National Strategy of Transportation and Logistics Services (NTLS).”

As part of the initiative, the participating parties will conduct a Gap Analysis to identify the air, ground, and air traffic management technologies required to support urban air mobility and autonomous aircraft. This analysis will lead to the creation of an Infrastructure and Technology Roadmap for scaling operations up to AFR. Additionally, the study will define the roles and responsibilities of AAM operational stakeholders and propose regulatory modifications to integrate these new systems into existing air traffic management frameworks.

Asaad Aljomoai, President of Boeing Saudi Arabia, said, “Boeing Saudi Arabia is proud to take this promising initiative as part of a consortium with key stakeholders, translating the vision of our MoU with GACA into concrete action. This feasibility study reflects our commitment to Saudi Vision 2030 and to supporting Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a global leader in Advanced Air Mobility, in alignment with the strategic objectives of the GACA AAM Roadmap. Through collaboration with GACA, SkyGrid, and KAUST, we aim to support the implementation of the GACA AAM Roadmap by developing actionable technology, operational, and regulatory recommendations that will help enable safe, scalable, and next-generation AAM operations across the Kingdom.”

To support the study, SkyGrid will contribute its expertise in digital operations and AAM traffic management, including traffic surveillance, micro-weather intelligence, vertiport resource management, and global navigation satellite system spoofing detection technologies.

Jia Xu, CEO of SkyGrid, said, “Safe autonomous aircraft operations depend on reliable situational awareness, resilient positioning and timing, and intelligent airspace and aerodrome management. This feasibility analysis will help define how advanced automation and cooperative traffic management can enable safe, scalable AAM operations across increasingly complex airspace environments — creating a pathway from today’s Visual and Instrument Flight Rules toward fully Automated Flight Rules in the future.”

KAUST, which previously signed an MoU with SkyGrid to advance airspace technologies, will provide the research and technical expertise to underpin the scientific foundations of the analysis.

Dr. Ian Campbell, Senior Vice President, National Transformation Institute, KAUST, added, “KAUST is uniquely positioned to contribute to this initiative through our expertise in engineering, data science, and systems research. Together with Boeing Saudi Arabia, SkyGrid, and GACA, we will help validate the operational concepts and technical infrastructure needed to ensure the Kingdom’s AAM ecosystem meets the highest standards of safety and efficiency.”

The project will ultimately deliver a comprehensive baseline assessment and key gap analysis, providing data to advance the GACA AAM Roadmap for scalable and efficient flight operations throughout Saudi Arabia.

… notes from SP

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