Muscat – Oman National Transport Company Mwasalat is working to revolutionise aerial logistics networks in Oman by collaborating with two American companies involved in managing and operating vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

Mwasalat signed an agreement on July 17 to operate up to 25 uncrewed air vehicles called  Laila developed by sustainable aviation specialist Odys Aviation.

In another development, the multinational conglomerate Honeywell and Odys Aviation signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last week to collaborate on the design of new ground control stations to support rollout of the latter’s hybrid VTOL aircraft in Oman and the wider Middle East and Pacific.

Under the terms of the MoU, Honeywell will provide a ground control station for uncrewed aerial system operations, supporting Odys Aviation’s uncrewed air vehicle Laila. Pilot programmes using Laila and the new ground stations are expected to kick off in 2025.

Laila is designed in multiple configurations to deliver cargo. With a 370km range, it is ideal to support pipeline inspections, leak detection, geological surveys, maritime operations and logistics services, including the delivery of time-critical goods.

The companies will collaborate to launch initial pilot programmes on unpopulated and defined routes with pre-production aircraft in 2025.

Both companies intend to work closely with Mwasalat to roll out aerial logistics programmes in Oman.

Honeywell’s ground control station, which can be scaled to meet the needs of any VTOL platform, enables remote pilots to manage multiple vehicles simultaneously, over long distances and without direct visual contact. In addition, several advanced automation functionalities such as traffic awareness, contingency management and ground-based detect-and-avoid help reduce pilot workload.

According to Bader al Nadabi, CEO, Mwasalat is excited to be pushing the boundaries of sustainable aviation and working with companies like Honeywell and Odys Aviation to bring the region closer to rolling out operations.

“Together with the proven experience of Honeywell and the technological innovation of Odys Aviation, Oman is laying meaningful groundwork to becoming a leader in this exciting new age of aviation, and as a leading company in providing transportation to Oman, we’re excited to be at the forefront of this revolution,” Nadabi said.

David Shilliday, Vice-President of Advanced Air Mobility at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, noted that with companies developing uncrewed vehicles, safe operations from a remote environment is becoming critical. “Our planned collaboration with Odys Aviation will represent a significant milestone, moving our innovative solutions from testing to real-life scenarios.” 

James Dorris, CEO and Co-founder of Odys Aviation, informed that Honeywell shares his company’s belief that the key to commercialising new aircraft technologies and moving from R&D to market lies in partnerships. “Honeywell has shown extensive leadership in the sustainable aviation space, and we’re excited to be working hand-in-hand with their world-class team to deliver on the promise of advanced aerospace technologies as soon as next year.”

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