Eve Air Mobility and Kookiejar, a Swedish-based vertiport developer, have signed a letter of intent (LOI) for Eve’s Urban ATM (Air Traffic Management) system to support vertiport operations in Dubai. The agreement marks Eve’s first Urban ATM agreement in Dubai and Kookiejar becomes the company’s 10th Urban ATM customer and fifth vertiport customer as the company continues to grow its global customer base.
The agreement comes as Kookiejar, along with its local partner Air Chateau, is preparing to showcase Dubai’s first state of the art vertiport hub facility with eight parking pads and a FATO at Al Maktoum Airport, Dubai South. Eve’s Urban ATM (Air Traffic Management) product has been adopted as part of Kookiejar and Air Chateau’s grand vision for Dubai. The vision is a phased implementation program in which networks of vertiports will be connected via Eve’s Urban ATM system to support a safe and scaled Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations that provides a path to commercialization in 2025-2026.
“Urban air mobility relies on infrastructure within the lower air space as well as accessible takeoff and landing spots – vertiports. Eve’s Urban ATM solution provides an integrated suite of software that will enable an efficient and predictable eVTOL ecosystem,” said Rob Weaver, Urban ATM global business development lead at Eve Air Mobility. “In Dubai, we are looking forward to working with KookieJar as they combine expertise in both ground and air infrastructure to design a flexible, sustainable and reliable vertiport network.”
Eve has engaged Atech, Embraer’s Air Traffic Control technology and system integrator company, to support the development of the Urban ATM software solution. Eve is leveraging Atech’s experience in developing aviation-grade products for ATM systems in Brazil.
“By leveraging decades of experience in one of the largest Urban Air Mobility operations of 1,500+ air taxi operations per day in Sao Paulo, the helicopter capital of the world, Eve’s Urban ATM system gives us the edge to integrate our Vertiports here in UAE and enable ANSPs to increase urban airspace capacity,” said Wassaf Akhtar, chief technology officer at Kookiejar. “This will provide equitable airspace access on our network of vertiports for eVTOLs.”
Kookiejar is already working with stakeholders in Dubai to carefully think about the routes that eVTOLs will take within existing VFR corridors that helicopters use today with its partners Vertiport Hub at Air Chateau and Dubai South. The goal is to have eVTOLs operate seamlessly with existing commercial air traffic management systems and the UTM systems. This strategic agreement will bolster Dubai’s position in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry by capitalizing on the synergies between Eve and Kookiejar.
From before take-off to after landing, the urban air environment will count on integrated systems, services and technologies being developed by Eve to support eVTOL operations alongside UTM systems and many other airspace users. In the future, the advancement of infrastructure and regulation will rely on these network management services to enable autonomous flight.
The company is also continuing to collaborate with regulators, customers air navigation service providers, fleet operators, vertiport developers, airports and other UAM ecosystems stakeholders globally to advance concepts and develop technology to support initial operation and scaling of UAM operations from an ATM perspective.
