Imagine skipping hours of road traffic and arriving in minutes, silently and with zero emissions. On October 8, 2026, that idea got closer to reality. Chennai-based The ePlane Company (Ubifly Technologies Pvt. Ltd.) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Noida International Airport to build the infrastructure and rules for its flagship e200X electric aircraft.
Flying Taxis: Overview
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Companies | The ePlane Company and Noida International Airport |
| Date | October 8, 2026 |
| Aircraft | e200X eVTOL |
| Planned uses | Airport-to-airport transit, city commutes, air ambulance |
| Airport’s role | Space for trials, vertiports and charging stations |
| ePlane’s role | DGCA and BCAS clearances, prototyping and flight testing |
| Prototype status | e200X PT-01 unveiled, ground testing underway |
More Than Just Buildings
This agreement goes beyond physical infrastructure. Both sides will co-develop regulatory SOPs, Vertiport Management Systems and the wider operating ecosystem the e200X needs. The result could be e200X-powered airport-to-airport trips, intra-city commutes and emergency air ambulance services across the region.
Who Does What?
The airport’s operator, Yamuna International Airport Private Limited, will set aside space within the airport for proof-of-concept trials, vertiports and charging stations. It will also align its own SOPs to accommodate eVTOL services. ePlane will work on getting clearances from the DGCA and BCAS while carrying out prototyping and flight testing. Together they’ll engage regulators, air traffic control and state governments to shape safety frameworks and AI-assisted fleet scheduling linked to smart city systems.
A Step-by-Step Approach
Founder and Director Dr. Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy said building air taxis takes more than the aircraft itself. The plan is to test operational models with drone trials first, then move to piloted e200X flights. Noida International Airport’s chairman, Daniel Bircher, said integrating Advanced Air Mobility fits the airport’s vision of seamless, multi-modal connectivity for Delhi-NCR.
About the Players
Founded in 2019 and incubated at IIT Madras, ePlane says it is the first private aerospace company in India to receive a DGCA Design Organisation Approval for electric aircraft. Its e200X is the first eVTOL accepted into the DGCA’s Type Certification pipeline. The aircraft has a compact 8×11 meter footprint, so it can use existing municipal helipads. The Noida International Airport is a greenfield project operated by a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG under a 40-year concession that began in October 2021.
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FAQs
What is the ePlane and Noida Airport MoU about?
It’s a framework to build the SOPs, vertiports and systems needed to run e200X air taxis and air ambulances.
When will the e200X start flying passengers?
No date is announced. Drone trials come first, then piloted flights, and certification is still pending.
