The future has landed: Benidorm hosts Europe’s first air taxi test flight
Drones and air taxis took to the skies in a pioneering urban flight demonstration
Benidorm took a bold step into the future this week, becoming the first city in Europe to host a simultaneous test flight of an air taxi and drones in an urban environment. The groundbreaking demonstration took place over Poniente and Levante beaches, with a two-passenger air taxi operating alongside a fleet of 12 drones.Coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the trial was part of the European U-ELCOME project, an initiative aimed at integrating drones into city airspaces safely and efficiently. The EH216-S air taxi, developed by EHang, flew without passengers but demonstrated the potential of urban air mobility. The accompanying drones performed tasks such as parcel delivery, surveillance and emergency operations, all while interacting with piloted aircraft in the same airspace.
Benidorm was chosen for this trial due to its unique cityscape, with its dense concentration of high-rise buildings providing the perfect testing ground for unmanned aerial transport. The test flights were managed through a digital air traffic control system known as U-Space, which ensures drones and air taxis can operate without disrupting conventional aviation.
A major milestone for air travel
The project has been three years in the making and involves 51 partners from Spain, France and Italy, all working under the coordination of EUROCONTROL. Their aim is to establish safe regulations for drone traffic management in urban environments. Large-scale demonstrations like this one are being conducted across Europe to test real-world applications.
Israel Quintanilla, Director of the Official Drone Commission at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, highlighted the importance of the test: “The first flight of the EH216-S air taxi by EHang in an urban environment in Europe, although without passengers, is a crucial step towards Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which will allow progress in regulation, technology and infrastructure so that it becomes a reality within this decade. The key to success lies in the management of airspace for multiple drone flights.”Benidorm’s mayor, Antonio Pérez, also emphasised the city’s role in advancing drone technology. “In 2016, we embraced this technology by integrating it into the operations of the Local Police, making it the first police force in Spain to be declared a drone operator. Since then, with the support of the Polytechnic University of Valencia, we have continued to take steps to strengthen our leading position in this emerging sector, offering the European U-ELCOME project our airspace—unique in Europe due to its high concentration of tall buildings, making it the perfect laboratory for testing various applications of unmanned aerial transport.”
What’s next for air taxis?
While the technology is advancing rapidly, there are still challenges to overcome before air taxis become a common sight in our cities. Regulations need to be finalised, new infrastructure such as vertiports (specialised takeoff and landing zones) must be built and public perception of drone-based transport needs to improve.
Gonzalo Alonso from ENAIRE, Spain’s national air navigation service, stressed the importance of coordination: “For the first time, under the U-space digital environment, the simultaneous operation of drones with an air taxi has been carried out safely with multiple U-space Service Providers (USSPs): ENAIRE, ITG, and UAB.”
As testing continues across Europe, Benidorm has now secured its place in aviation history. The future of urban air travel might still be on the horizon, but after this week’s successful test, it feels a lot closer than ever.
Images: Ministry of Transport
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