Germany-based UAM vehicle developer FLUTR has partnered with wasl, the Gulf’s largest property developer, to provide aerial mobility services for its 47,000 residential and commercial properties, hotels, apartments, golfing and boating venues. These include the portfolio of internationally recognised brands such as Le Meridien, Al Mina, Dusit, Hyatt, Hilton, Mandarin Oriental and Marriott brands, as well as the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, Dubai Creek Marina, Emirates Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates. FLUTR will provide the vehicle and operating services while wasl will provide locations for take off and landing.

Founder and CEO Cameron Spencer says: “It is a challenge to incorporate this much functionality and performance into such a small vehicle; it is only a single car park space in size when folded. But we didn’t want to compromise on the vision of being able to zip through all the local airspace around us that is essentially un-used, being able to get anywhere by air on demand. This is not only an exciting innovation for Dubai, but a big move forward for aviation and urban aerial mobility.”

The FLUTR network is designed as a low-cost point-to-point air transport network to get people from A to B as fast as possible, by air, at the lowest possible cost. wasl tenants and visitors will use its two and three seat VTOL vehicles on airport routes to and from wasl properties. Initially they will be able to fly, with their luggage, to any airport in the region in just a few minutes, and eventually to almost any other destination across the region.

The vehicles will travel at up to 155mph (250kph), powered by SAF or battery and controlled by conventional, automatic or remote piloting technology. Passengers will be able to hail a ride directly from FLUTR, or find the nearest available vehicle and self-fly.

The FLUTR air transport system is designed to work from existing buildings, with take off and landing possible from forecourts, driveways, car parks and low-traffic streets, avoiding the installation of carbon-intensive and expensive infrastructure and ground handling facilities. The company claims that each of its vehicles will be equipped with new technologies that traditional helicopters aren’t able to offer, such as shrouded rotors for bystander safety, parachute, bump tolerant structure in case of light ground collision, remote pilot communications, electric wheels for ground manoeuvring, air traffic anti-collision, battery and sustainable fuel options.

The network will launch upon successful testing and verification of the vehicle and systems according to the standards of government safety authorities: GCAA (UAE), DCAA (Dubai) and EASA (Germany).