Samson Sky CEO Speaks at Dubai World Congress For Self-Driving Transport

Samson Sky CEO Sam Bousfield, designer of the Switchblade Flying Sports Car, was a speaker at the Dubai World Congress for Self-Driving Transport, which recently took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The UAE’s capital is well known for its goal to lead the way as a city of the future, which includes flying cars.

This year’s congress provided a leading platform for self-driving tech, future mobility, and integrated transport systems. The event’s estimated 6,000 attendees heard presentations from over 85 of the world’s decision-makers, playing a role in shaping the future of how cities move — including Volkswagen, Porsche, McLaren, Volvo, Ford Motor Company, Uber, Joby, Stellantis, and Samson Sky.

Bousfield presented his vision of the future and the potential for autonomous drive-and-fly regional travel. As the designer of the Switchblade Flying Sports Car, he shared details on integrating AI into the cockpit of Switchblade production vehicles, as well as where AI is used to simplify flying in busy airspace. In the short term, Samson Sky is targeting initial production to begin in late 2026. Bousfield also highlighted how Samson is adopting the technologies required to bring future-generation Switchblades up to full autonomous drive and fly.

The Switchblade is redefining regional travel for those who take trips of 250–500 miles / 300–800 km for business or pleasure. “Statistics show there are 21 million Regional Travelers in the U.S. alone,” said Bousfield. During his talk, Bousfield covered several points that make the Switchblade vehicle advantageous for regional travelers who are looking for a better solution than traditional airline travel or driving, which include:

• Trips will take you half as long as traditional travel

• Allows you to spend more time at your destination

• Door-to-door travel, never leaving the comfort of your vehicle

• Travel on your own schedule, not the airline’s

• The freedom to drive or fly — whenever and wherever you want

“I was honored to be included amongst the world’s leaders in autonomous vehicles. The Dubai congress was a tremendous forum for presenting the state-of-the-art in future mobility. The UAE’s capital is very welcoming of this kind of technology,” Bousfield stated. “We think our exclusive Limited Edition vehicle will be a hit in Dubai and the entire MENA region.”

The Switchblade Flying Sports Car is a highway-capable, hybrid-electric vehicle that is high-performance both on the road and in the air. Customers can park the Switchblade in their garage and drive it to a nearby airport, using highways and local roads. Once there, with the push of a button, the vehicle’s wings swing out and the tail extends, making it ready for takeoff. It has room for two passengers and travel bags, and flies up to 500 miles / 805 km on a tank of premium auto gas. Estimated cruise speed in the air is 160 mph / 257 km/h.

For more information about the Switchblade and to follow its progress into production, visit: www.SamsonSky.com