EHANG and Air Zero Give Israel Its First Ever Air Taxi Tests from

INDI (photo credit Mark Nomdar)

Israel’s National Air Drone Initiative (INDI) conducted the first air taxi takeoff and landing test ever held in Israel. It did so with the eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing), an autonomous aircraft that can carry passengers and heavy cargo is expected to serve as public transportation in the aerial dimension. Dronery, a subsidiary of Cando Drones, operated the EH-216S model manufactured by EHANG, while AIR flew the AIR ZERO model that is designed and manufactured in Israel.

We have all heard about how drones are advancing. Amazon and other are moving to use them for home deliveries. And as the technology advances, they will be able to carry more and more wait. Are you old enough to remember all those old science fiction movies and television shows like “The Jetsons?” Well, if you do then you must be one of the many disappointed people out there who expected to have flying cares by the 1990s at the latest.

Now, however, AIR ZERO and Cando Drones may be bringing us flying cars really soon. But first, flying taxis.

INDI is a partnership between government entities led by Israel’ Ministry of Transportation, the Israel Innovation Authority, Ayalon Highways Ltd., and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI). The goal of the initiative is to support and promote an ecosystem through technology, regulation, and infrastructure for the use of advanced flight vehicles. The initiative is focused on preparing the airspace for drone flights, with the intention of alleviating traffic congestion on Israel’s roads, providing commercial and public services more efficiently, and creating a global competitive advantage for Israeli high-tech companies.

As part of the tests and experimental flights conducted throughout Israel last week, 11 drone operating companies and supporting companies operated in the airspace, conducting complex experiments to promote operational capabilities. There was many new tech unveiled.

For the first-time, test flights of eVTOL autonomous electric aircraft with long-range capabilities were conducted in a managed urban airspace (also known as UTM – Unmanned Traffic Management), carrying heavy cargo loads, with a future option to fly people for long distances.

AIR flew the AIR ZERO, manufactured in Israel, which can accommodate up to 2 passengers and a total payload of up to 220 kilograms, for a distance of up to 160 kilometers.

Dronery, a subsidiary of Cando Drones, took off for the first time at the Pal-Yam landing pad in Caesarea with EHANG’s innovative EH216-S aircraft, which can carry two passengers, a total of up to 220 kilograms, and fly a distance within 30 kilometers, in a fully autonomous flight with no pilot onboard, using EHANG’s intelligent command-and control system.

Cando Drones conducted delivery flights between Rami Levy Supermarket branches, night flights in the coastal strip of Hadera in collaboration with the municipality, and traffic monitoring activities at the Nesher-Bar-Yehuda junction.

Down Wind conducted the longest flight in the initiative so far, covering approximately 29 kilometers, to open a flight path between Hillel Yaffe Medical Center and Rambam Medical Center.

Autonomous urban flights were performed to assess the movement of goods from various branches in Yohananof.

Sentrycs conducted a test to ensure a safe flight environment for authorized drones in collaboration with Flytech and Cando.

ATI, in collaboration with TA Helicopters, examined eVTOL landing options in city centers and conducted a flight path from Kfar Truman to the center of Tel Aviv, with a landing in Reading.

These flights and tests contribute to advancing the development and implementation of innovative drone technologies in Israel. Several companies are participating in the drone initiative that began in 2019. These include Airways Drones Ltd, F.T. Aerial Solutions Ltd, Elsight, AGL, Air Taxi Israel (ATI), Down Wind, BROOK, Highlander Aviation, Cando Drones, and RoboTiCan.

Dror Bin, CEO of the Innovation Authority, said, “Israel is one of the global leaders in this field and today’s experiment is an important milestone in the National Drone Initiative which gained international acclaim. The significance of these demonstrations lies in creating a regulatory sandbox that allows all relevant stakeholders to have practical experience before establishing a regulatory infrastructure that enables a wider economically viable model. The ability of Israeli startup companies in the drone industry to experiment within this sandbox provides them with a competitive advantage in the global market.”

The first phase of the national drone initiative, which took place between 2019 and 2022, focused on small cargo flights. The current phase aims to increase payload capacity and range so that in the future, heavier cargo and passengers can be transported. Additionally, within the framework of the demonstrations, a “system of aerial routes in the skies” is being developed, enabling continuous flight operations in the airspace, allowing multiple drones and different aircrafts to fly simultaneously for various purposes, including healthcare, commerce, security, safety, and more. The Drone Initiative also addresses airspace regulation and the creation of regulatory infrastructure for autonomous flying vehicles for public benefit. Over the past three years, more than 19,000 sorties have been conducted in urban and rural areas as part of the initiative.

In the next two years, the participating companies in the Initiative will continue to conduct flights throughout the country for one week each month. The flights will take place in a controlled airspace, throughout Israel covering long distances of up to 150 kilometers, while carrying heavier payloads, including, in the future, drones that will be able to carry people from one location to another. The initiative operates in collaboration with additional commercial and public entities such as the Israeli Air Force, Israel Airports Authority Ltd., local municipalities, and other relevant entities. Ayalon Highways will continue to serve as the pilot site for conducting the demonstrations and will provide the companies with space in its metropolitan control and monitoring center.