An international partnership intends to develop substantial eVTOL and advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure across the 1,200 islands of the Maldives. Dubai-based helicopter and vertiport operator Air Chateau DWC, the Maldives state-owned Regional Airports Co., and Wings Capital Management of Abu Dhabi, UAE, have signed a memorandum of understanding to roll out VVIP and high-net-worth air taxi, commercial cargo, and passenger operations with eVTOLs and AAM infrastructure across the Maldives as part of Project Elevate Maldives.
Under the agreement, Air Chateau will develop a network of up to 100 vertiports and 500 drone ports to connect the islands with project management from Wings Capital. Regional Airports—which currently operates eight airports across the Maldives, with plans to soon increase that number to 15—will convey operating rights to Air Chateau for up to 20 years.
“With a total addressable market for air tourism transfers estimated at around half a billion dollars annually, the Maldives exemplifies the potential for island air mobility, similar to regional air mobility, and urban air mobility,” said Samir Mohammed, chairman and founder of Air Chateau. “Our helicopters and future eVTOL operations will simply complement the existing transportation modes, creating a synergistic and convenient hub-and-spoke system.”