Aridge, one of Asia's largest flying-car makers, is preparing to start test flights in the UAE from early 2027, as it edges closer to a final type certificate in China after completing authority test flights there. To support its Middle East push, the company has set up a regulatory sandbox with Ras Al Khaimah, under which flight testing will roll out gradually over a six-to-twelve-month period.
If the programme goes as planned, Aridge intends to eventually run demonstration routes connecting Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah. Michael Du, the company's chief financial officer, described the sandbox arrangement as a solid path toward the eventual commercial delivery of the product, rather than a side experiment.
The centrepiece of Aridge's line-up is the A868, an aircraft that can carry up to six people, fly as far as 500km on a single charge, and reach a top speed of 360km/h. The company also produces a two-part "Land Aircraft Carrier," pairing a ground vehicle with a detachable aircraft module, alongside the smaller X3-F, built for shorter recreational flights.
Aridge says it has already taken in more than 300 early-stage orders and is targeting production of up to 1,000 units a year further down the line. Under an ideal timeline, commercial deliveries would begin in late 2027, though the company has acknowledged that could slip into early 2028. Should the UAE trial succeed, the country would become one of the first in the region to host real-world testing of flying cars at this scale, feeding into the UAE's broader ambitions around next-generation urban air mobility.