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Singapore trials “air taxi” for emergency medical services

The deal stipulates that UK-based aerospace manufacturer Vertical Aerospace and Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will cooperate on research into the use of flying taxis for emergency medical services.

Manufacturer Vertical Aerospace will look at how electric and hybrid-electric vertical aircraft can support timely medical response in remote areas around Singapore. (Photo: Vertical Aerospace)
Manufacturer Vertical Aerospace will look at how electric and hybrid-electric vertical aircraft can support timely medical response in remote areas around Singapore. (Photo: Vertical Aerospace)

Singapore (VNA) - Singapore has announced an agreement to trial “air taxis” for emergency medical services on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow 2026.

The deal stipulates that UK-based aerospace manufacturer Vertical Aerospace and Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will cooperate on research into the use of flying taxis for emergency medical services.

With funding support from A*STAR, Vertical Aerospace will study the deployment of electric and hybrid-electric aircraft to enable timely medical responses in remote areas of Singapore.

Funding from Hatch, an innovation centre under A*STAR, will allow Vertical Aerospace to develop, test and validate a means of applying its Valo aircraft platform, its commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, to respond to an emergency medical situation.

Vertical Aerospace said it will work with A*STAR, Hatch and other partners to develop a detailed concept of operations for emergency medical services in compliance with operational and regulatory requirements. Flight demonstrations will also be conducted to assess feasibility, safety and response times.

Under the project, which runs until April, Vertical Aerospace will cooperate with the Singapore Home Team to evaluate and test how eVTOL and vertical take-off and landing aircraft can complement existing emergency response systems and potentially improve patient outcomes in critical situations./.

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#Vertical Aerospace #A*STAR #air taxi #emergency medical services Singapore
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