Hyperloop could transit passengers between Dubai airports in six minutes: Expert

Cutting-edge Hyperloop connections are no more a dream. The lightening-speed transit system, which the UAE is likely to have in place in the near future, will transit passengers between Dubai's two airports in six minutes and between Dubai and Abu Dhabi in just 12 minutes, experts said at a seminar on future travel at the Arabian Travel Market.
Drastic reduction in travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to 12 minutes is just the beginning. "In the future, other emirates and indeed other GCC countries could also be linked, with journeys between Dubai and Fujairah as low as 10 minutes and Dubai to Riyadh in 40 minutes," said Harj Dhaliwal, managing director Middle East and India field operations, Virgin Hyperloop One.
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in a series of tweets on Thursday, said that "there is no specific route for operating the Hyperloop system in Dubai or between Dubai and other emirates".
"The system is still under the process of research and development, and RTA is closely following the developments in this technology, and will study several options for determining the route which will be announced in the future," the RTA said.
Hyperloop transit system would allow airport passengers to travel between Dubai's two airports in as little as six to seven minutes - a shorter transit time than travelling between terminals at Dubai International Airport, experts said at the session entitled 'Future Travel Experiences.'
Virgin Hyperloop One, a futuristic transportation concept through which pods, propelled by magnets and solar, will move passengers and cargo at speeds of 1,200kmph, is the most prominent tourism infrastructure development in the UAE at present.
Backed by Dubai-based DP World, Hyperloop One has the potential to transport approximately 3,400 people an hour, 128,000 people a day and 24 million people a year.
In November 2016, Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) announced plans to evaluate a Hyperloop connection between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which could reduce travel times between the two emirates by 78 minutes to 12 minutes. Routes to operate Hyperloop technology have been identified in the UAE, according to the RTA, which, along with Virgin Hyperloop One, the Richard Branson-backed transportation disruptor, has made considerable progress with the project under its Dubai Future Accelerators programme.
"Looking to the future, having both Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport as key stations on the hyperloop system is essential. At present, Emirates only operates from Dubai International Airport but the implementation of a hyperloop system between both airports could allow the airline to effectively and efficiently work from both hubs," Michael Ibbitson, executive vice-president (infrastructure and technology), Dubai Airports, said.
Last week, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HyperloopTT) and Aldar Properties inked an agreement for establishing the world's first commercial Hyperloop system, connecting areas between the Capital and Dubai. As per the agreement, the system will come up in the Dh10-billion Al Ghadeer community, which is close to the Abu Dhabi-Dubai border. The community is located near the Kizad Free Zone, Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport and the Dubai Expo 2020 site. HyperloopTT chairman Bibop Gresta said the 10-km long project is expected to be completed in time for the Expo 2020.
Hyperloop One isn't the only concept to boost tourism infrastructure in the region, the development of key international airports in Saudi Arabia and airport expansion in the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait as well as cruise terminal expansions, improved domestic inter-city road and rail work and the growth of low-cost airlines will keep the GCC at the forefront of tourism infrastructure and innovation.
issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com