An artist's impression of the PAL-V Liberty. SUPPLIED

The UAE's vision for future mobility took flight on Thursday (April 17) as Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) unveiled the region's first flying car prototype — the PAL-V Liberty. Priced at $800,000, the PAL-V Liberty is developed by Dutch company PAL-V and is designed to travel both on roads and in the air. Invented by Robert Dingemanse, the company’s CEO and founder, the car transforms from a three-wheeled road vehicle into a gyroplane in under three minutes. “For example, it can go from Dubai to Bahrain in 2 hours 20 minutes,” Dingemanse said. “I’ve been in disruptive technologies my whole life. Our design philosophy of complying with existing road and air regulations saved us many years in time to market.” The two-seater PAL-V Liberty can travel up to 500 km, reach an airspeed of 180 km/h, and carry 20 kg of luggage. It requires a short 200-meter runway for takeoff and 30 meters for landing. Pilots must obtain a special gyroplane license through the PAL-V Institute. Earlier this month, PAL-V received a No Technical Objection (NTO) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) — a milestone for the innovative aircraft. In the UAE, PAL-V is working with local aviation authorities including the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Saudi Arabia’s GACA for certification and approvals. The company has also received a significant order from Dubai-based Aviterra, which has committed to purchasing 101 PAL-V Liberty vehicles for the Middle East and Africa. Aviterra is backed by one of the founders of Jetex. “Our goal is to build a fully-functional assembly line in the Middle East eventually,” said Dingemanse, with current production still based in the Netherlands. Juma Alhaj, SRTIP’s Director of Communications Strategy and Marketing, said discussions are ongoing to bring a PAL-V assembly line to Sharjah. “The aim is to bolster the economy and use local university resources for further research and development,” he said. With the order book valued between €150 to €200 million, and around 30 percent of that from the Middle East, PAL-V Liberty may soon transform urban mobility across the GCC. ICA/Expat Media
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