Eve Air Mobility (“Eve”) and Kookiejar, a Swedish-based vertiport developer, have solidified their collaboration through the signing of a letter of intent (LOI) to develop an innovative Urban Air Traffic Management (ATM) system tailored for vertiport operations in Dubai. This pivotal agreement not only marks Eve’s debut in Dubai’s Urban ATM landscape but also establishes Kookiejar as Eve’s 10th Urban ATM customer and fifth vertiport customer, underscoring the global expansion of Eve’s clientele.
The collaboration aligns with Kookiejar’s strategic initiative alongside its local partner, Air Chateau, to unveil Dubai’s inaugural state-of-the-art vertiport hub at Al Maktoum Airport, Dubai South. Featuring eight parking pads and a FATO, this facility embodies Kookiejar and Air Chateau’s forward-thinking vision for Dubai’s urban air mobility. Eve’s Urban ATM system will play a central role in this vision, connecting networks of vertiports in a phased implementation program aimed at fostering safe and scalable Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations, with a projected commercialization timeline of 2025-2026.
Rob Weaver, Urban ATM global business development lead at Eve Air Mobility, emphasized the significance of Eve’s Urban ATM solution in creating an efficient and predictable eVTOL ecosystem, critical for the success of urban air mobility in Dubai. Collaborating with KookieJar, which excels in both ground and air infrastructure, Eve envisions designing a flexible, sustainable, and reliable vertiport network.
To ensure the technological prowess of the Urban ATM software solution, Eve has enlisted the support of Atech, a subsidiary of Embraer specializing in Air Traffic Control technology. Leveraging Atech’s extensive experience in developing aviation-grade products for ATM systems in Brazil, Eve aims to provide an edge in integrating vertiports in the UAE, enabling Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to enhance urban airspace capacity for eVTOLs.
Wassaf Akhtar, Chief Technology Officer at Kookiejar, highlighted the strategic advantage gained from Eve’s Urban ATM system, drawing on decades of experience in managing over 1,500 air taxi operations per day in Sao Paulo, a hub for helicopter operations. The collaborative effort aims to ensure equitable airspace access on Kookiejar’s vertiport network for eVTOLs, contributing to the overall advancement of Dubai’s position in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry.
Kookiejar’s proactive engagement with stakeholders in Dubai reflects a meticulous approach to integrating eVTOL routes within existing Visual Flight Rules (VFR) corridors, aligning seamlessly with current commercial air traffic management systems and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems. This strategic agreement not only fortifies Dubai’s standing in the AAM industry but also capitalizes on the synergies between Eve and Kookiejar, setting the stage for the future of autonomous flight and the integration of various airspace users.
From pre-takeoff to post-landing, Eve’s integrated systems, services, and technologies will play a pivotal role in supporting eVTOL operations within the urban air environment. Eve continues its collaborative efforts with regulators, customers, air navigation service providers, fleet operators, vertiport developers, airports, and other UAM ecosystem stakeholders worldwide. This commitment aims to advance conceptual frameworks and technology that facilitate the initial operation and scaling of UAM operations from an ATM perspective, further solidifying Eve’s position as a leader in the evolving landscape of urban air mobility.”