Dubai 2015: Set to blast off in the seat of power

Flying into the future of the UAE is New Zealand’s Martin Aircraft Company and Martin Jetpack. 

The company signed an exclusive contract with the Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) at the Dubai Airshow on Monday to become the launch customer for the world’s first practical jetpack.

“The fuel-run jetpack flies at up to 5,000 feet and solves problems that others can’t with its ability to land on rooftops covered with aerials and wires, operate in tightly confined areas, and provide an economic and practical alternative to traditional helicopters,” said Peter Coker, CEO of Martin Jetpack.

“It provides the first responder community with a new set of operational capabilities, enabling them to respond tactically to save human lives.”

DCD is currently conducting research into how many jetpacks it will purchase and what it will use them for, but it expects that it will order 20 and already knows what the first one will be used for.

“After the fire at the Marina Torch tower in February, people got very scared and we faced a challenge to make sure we put minds at rest and show that our buildings are safe,” said Lt Colonel Ali Hassan Almutawa, director of operations for DCD.

“The first mission for a jetpack is to oversee fire safety in our high-rise buildings. A fire officer will operate the equipment, which will be installed with a thermal image camera to locate heat, as a quick responder. This can save lives, so we are very much looking forward to first delivery in early 2016.”

Jeremy Clarke-Watson, the New Zealand Ambassador to the UAE, was at the signing and said it was a great coup for the company, and for his country.

“The UAE is one of the fastest-growing trade relationships in the world and this is another example of a high-tech New Zealand company,” he said. “The UAE loves its advanced technology, so this product is absolutely fitting with that.”