UAE issues licence for all-electric cargo plane

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A licence was officially issued for the operation of an electric cargo aircraft in the UAE, it was announced on Tuesday, marking another step in the country's shift towards sustainable transportation.

Granted by UAE Regulations Lab at the General Secretariat of the Cabinet, the new temporary licence comes in collaboration with the United Parcel Service (UPS), an American multinational shipping and receiving and supply chain management company. It allows the firm to test its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in the UAE.

The move is expected to contribute to reducing carbon footprint by encouraging the adoption of clean energy and harnessing the potential of technology and innovation in redefining the future of the logistics sector.

The electric aircraft licence issuance comes under the RegLab’s national mission to align regulations with the latest innovations — from 3D printing technologies to artificial intelligence, and more.

In September 2022, the country approved a temporary licence for the first all-electric cargo plane in the region.

Upon giving the green light, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had said the move was an “important step that may contribute to changing the future of the shipping sector and its environmental impacts”.

The new sustainable aircraft licence provides a strong legislative structure to operate a new generation of cargo aircraft that use clean energy, supporting the Emirates' efforts to roll out eco-friendly initiatives and programmes aimed at bolstering the economic system.