After Renaming to ARIDGE, XPENG AEROHT Partners with UAE to Build Flying Car Regulatory Sandbox

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 19, ARIDGE (formerly XPENG AEROHT) signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. Under the supervision of the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the two parties will jointly build an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) regulatory sandbox and advance the planning and implementation of a cross-emirate demonstration route from Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah. ARIDGE stated that the regulatory sandbox will conduct flying car testing and verification for personal low-altitude flight scenarios.

The regulatory sandbox is led by the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA). ARIDGE will conduct desert environment flight verification within controlled airspace, test aircraft performance under different operational scenarios, and work with local regulatory and industry partners to refine relevant operating procedures. The testing scope will also cover flight planning, airspace coordination, ground support, passenger handling, aircraft turnaround, and safety management.

The two parties also plan to use the Abu Dhabi–Ras Al Khaimah demonstration route as a real-world verification platform for cross-emirate advanced air mobility services, to evaluate the airspace organization, airport or vertiport support, passenger organization, and aircraft operating conditions required for future commercial operations. The project is currently still in the regulatory testing and demonstration route preparation stage and has not yet entered commercial operation.

ARIDGE has recently conducted flight demonstrations in the UAE. Its modular flying car, the "Land Aircraft Carrier," previously held a formation flight demonstration in Abu Dhabi. The product adopts a combination design of a ground vehicle and a detachable flight module. The flight module is equipped with redundant propulsion, power, communication, and flight control systems, and features automatic rotor failure response capability.

This cooperation will also support ARIDGE in advancing flight verification, airworthiness-related work, and cross-emirate operation testing in the UAE. The company has identified Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East as regions for subsequent overseas market expansion.