eVTOL air taxis have moved closer to operational testing in India after IIT-Madras-based Ubifly Technologies, the parent company of The e Plane Company, signed a memorandum of understanding with Noida International Airport to develop the infrastructure and operating systems required for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
Under the agreement, space will be allocated within the airport premises for trial runs, vertiports and charging stations. The partnership will also examine how the airport’s standard operating procedures can accommodate eVTOL services, according to the company.
Vertiports function as terminals for eVTOL aircraft. Unlike conventional airport facilities, they will need to support electric charging, aircraft movement, passenger handling and operational control within a relatively compact footprint. The agreement is intended to develop this ground ecosystem alongside the aircraft itself, rather than treating aviation infrastructure as a later-stage requirement.
The company said the proposed operational framework will support airport-to-airport transit, intra-city commutes and emergency air ambulance services across the region. It also plans to work on regulatory standard operating procedures, vertiport management systems and related operational processes for its e200X aircraft.
“Deploying electric air taxis requires more than just building the aircraft. It demands the parallel development of ground infrastructure, regulatory frameworks and operational procedures,” Dr Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, founder and director of Ubifly Technologies, said in a statement cited by The Times of India.
Chakravarthy said the MoU would allow the company to validate its operational models through drone trials before moving to piloted e200X flights. The staged approach is intended to prepare the airport ecosystem before the aircraft receives the certification required for passenger operations.
The announcement places airport infrastructure at the centre of ePlane’s commercialisation plans. The company’s proposed uses extend beyond a new aircraft platform: they require designated take-off and landing areas, charging capacity, airport coordination systems and operating procedures that can work alongside existing aviation activity. The agreement with Noida International Airport will therefore serve as an early test of how these requirements can be incorporated into a functioning airport environment.
Ubifly Technologies has received about Rs 285 crore as optionally convertible debt under the Research, Development, Innovation and Technology programme. The startup has also showcased a full-scale passenger aircraft prototype and operates a manufacturing facility at Thaiyur, on the outskirts of Chennai.
The company is targeting an initial scale of 80 aircraft by 2028. The source report does not specify the timeline for the Noida trials, the number of vertiports planned, charging capacity, passenger fares or the regulatory approvals required before commercial flights can begin. The next operational milestones will be the drone trials, development of the airport procedures and the certification pathway for piloted e200X flights.
