Noida International Airport has signed a memorandum of understanding with IIT Madras-incubated deep-tech start-up The ePlane Company, operated by Ubifly Technologies, to explore electric air taxi services connecting the airport with Delhi and other parts of the National Capital Region. The proposed service could also support emergency air ambulance operations.
Under the agreement, the company will work on the infrastructure, safety framework and operating systems required for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. It plans to use its e200X electric aircraft, which is designed to take off and land vertically like a helicopter and therefore does not require a conventional long runway.
The proposed arrangement will involve developing a vertiport, charging station and testing space within the Noida airport complex. The airport will also modify its standard operating procedures to accommodate the take-off and landing of air taxis. The company, meanwhile, will seek the required approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and other regulatory agencies before commercial operations can begin.
The agreement is expected to cover a phased approach. According to The ePlane Company’s founder and director, Dr Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy, the MoU will help test the operating model through drone trials before moving towards flights involving piloted e200X aircraft. The supplied report does not specify a commercial launch date, passenger fares, route frequency or the number of aircraft planned for the service.
The proposed network is intended to provide airport-to-airport connectivity between Noida International Airport and Delhi Airport, while also linking the airport with other locations in the NCR. The service could reduce travel time between key aviation hubs if regulatory approvals, infrastructure development and safe operating procedures are completed. However, the actual operating area and passenger service plan will depend on approvals and subsequent implementation decisions.
The agreement also identifies emergency medical transport as a possible use of the aircraft. The service could be used to move critically ill patients between Delhi Airport, Noida International Airport and other NCR locations, although the report does not provide details on medical operators, hospital tie-ups or dedicated emergency response protocols.
Daniel Bircher, chairman of Noida International Airport, said incorporating advanced air mobility into the airport’s infrastructure was part of its commitment to seamless and future-ready connectivity. The statement places the proposed service within the airport’s wider infrastructure planning, but the project will still require regulatory clearance and operational validation.
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 report also presents the proposed service as an environmentally friendly option because of its claimed zero carbon emissions. No independent emissions assessment, technical specifications, carrying capacity or operating range was provided in the supplied material.
The next steps are the development of the vertiport, charging and testing facilities, amendments to airport operating procedures, drone-based trials and applications for approvals from the DGCA and other regulatory authorities.
