Noida International Airport has signed a memorandum of understanding with IIT Madras-incubated deep-tech start-up The ePlane Company to develop an electric air taxi service for airport-to-airport and wider Delhi-NCR connectivity, according to a report by Navbharat Times – Noida.
The proposed service will use the company’s e200X electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Unlike conventional fixed-wing aircraft, the eVTOL is designed to take off and land vertically, similar to a helicopter, removing the need for a long runway for these operations.
Under the agreement, The ePlane Company, operating through Ubifly Technologies, will work on the infrastructure, safety procedures and operating systems required for the service. The plan includes developing a vertiport, charging station and testing space within the Noida International Airport complex.
The airport is also expected to modify its standard operating procedures to accommodate the take-off and landing of air taxis. The company will be responsible for seeking the necessary approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and other regulatory agencies before commercial operations can begin.
The proposed network is intended to connect Noida International Airport with Delhi Airport and other parts of the National Capital Region. The report also states that the service could be used for emergency air ambulance operations, including medical transport for critically ill patients. The supplied report does not provide a launch date, proposed fares, passenger capacity or a confirmed route map.
The development is planned in stages. According to a statement attributed to The ePlane Company’s founder and director, Dr Satyam Narayan Chakravarthy, the MoU will support testing the operating model through drone trials before the company moves towards flights involving piloted e200X aircraft.
The e200X is described by the company as an indigenous electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and as one of the world’s most compact passenger eVTOL aircraft. The proposed use of electric propulsion is also presented as a zero-carbon-emission alternative for the planned service, although the supplied report does not provide technical performance data, charging requirements or an independently verified emissions assessment.
Daniel Bircher, chairman of Noida International Airport, said the inclusion of advanced air mobility in the airport’s infrastructure forms part of its commitment to seamless and future-ready connectivity. The statement does not indicate when the airport infrastructure will be completed or when regulatory applications will be submitted.
The agreement places the proposed service at the intersection of airport planning, urban transport and aviation regulation. Its implementation will depend on the completion of the vertiport and charging facilities, the results of drone trials, changes to airport operating procedures and approvals from aviation regulators. These milestones will determine when the proposed electric air taxi service can move beyond planning towards passenger and medical operations.
