Historic First in Europe: Benidorm Hosts the First Urban Flight of an Air Taxi and Drones in U-Space

Today, Benidorm witnessed a groundbreaking moment in urban air mobility, hosting the first simultaneous flight in Europe of an air taxi and drones in a real urban setting, with three U-Space service providers ensuring a safe and efficient operation. The skies over Poniente and Levante beaches became the stage for this pioneering aerial demonstration, coordinated by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) as part of the European U-ELCOME project.

During the demonstration, an EH216-S air taxi, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for passenger transport developed by EHang, successfully flew alongside 12 drones performing a variety of simulated operations, including cargo transport, delivery, surveillance, and rescue missions. The entire operation was monitored and managed through advanced digital platforms within the European U-space framework, ensuring flight safety and operational efficiency.

A European Milestone in UAM
This large-scale demonstration, a first in Europe, is part of the U-ELCOME project (CEF-T-2021-SIMOBGEN-SESAR-DSDU-WORKS), which brings together 51 partners from Spain, France, and Italy, all coordinated by EUROCONTROL. The goal of the project is to integrate and validate Europe's first U-space services, which will manage drone air traffic in urban environments. Several large-scale test flights are being conducted in Spain, France, and Italy to support this initiative.

Key Stakeholders Speak on the Future of Air Mobility

Israel Quintanilla, Director of the Official Drone Commission at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and project coordinator for the Valencian region, highlighted the significance of this event: "The first urban flight of the EH216-S air taxi in Europe, even without passengers, is a crucial step towards Urban Air Mobility (UAM). This milestone will accelerate the development of regulations, technology, and infrastructure necessary to make air taxis a reality within this decade. Efficient airspace management for multi-drone flights will be key to success."

Benidorm has been selected as one of the first European cities to test urban drone applications and is on track to become a leader in this sector. Antonio Pérez, Mayor of Benidorm, emphasized the city’s commitment to aerial innovation: "In 2016, we became the first city in Spain to integrate drones into our police operations. With the support of UPV, we have continued to consolidate our leadership in this emerging sector. By hosting Europe’s first air taxi test flight, Benidorm is once again pioneering the future of urban air mobility."

Victoria Jing Xiang, COO of EHang Europe & LatAm, also underscored the significance of this event: "The successful operation of our EH216-S aircraft in coordination with multiple drones under a U-Space system proves the feasibility of safe, efficient, and sustainable urban air mobility solutions. We are proud to contribute our technology to the U-ELCOME project and to collaborate with the city of Benidorm and UPV to advance the future of aerial transportation."

Shaping the Future of Urban Air Mobility

According to Gonzalo Alonso, Head of Commercial & International Business Development at ENAIRE and leader of the Spanish cluster of U-ELCOME: "For the first time, we have safely operated multiple drones and an air taxi under a U-space digital system with several U-Space Service Providers (USSPs), including ENAIRE, ITG, and UAB. The integration of passenger transport air taxis into urban airspace must meet the same safety standards as commercial aviation. We are undergoing a major digital transformation that will enable unmanned air taxi operations alongside traditional aviation." Today's demonstration marks a major step toward the realization of urban air mobility in Europe. With regulatory advancements, technological developments, and continued testing, air taxis could soon become a common sight in the skies above our cities.

The Road to Air Taxi Integration in Cities The U-ELCOME project, set to conclude by the end of this year, is a key initiative for the safe integration of drones into European urban environments using U-space services. The goal is to lay the groundwork for smarter, more connected, and sustainable cities.

What remains before we see air taxis operating in cities?

According to Israel Quintanilla, several challenges still need to be addressed, including regulations, infrastructure, and public acceptance: A specific regulatory framework for air taxis is currently under development in Europe, new physical infrastructure, such as vertiports (landing and takeoff zones for air taxis), must be built, urban planning must adapt to accommodate this new mode of transport, Uspace air traffic management systems must ensure safe and coordinated drone flights and public perception and acceptance of drones and air taxis need to improve.

Key Participants and Collaboration

This aerial demonstration, led by Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), was made possible through public-private collaboration, with participation from:EHang, City of Benidorm, EUROCONTROL, ENAIRE, Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), General Directorate of Civil Aviation, Technological Institute of Galicia (ITG), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), National and local security forces,including Alicante’s National Police, PEGASO team of the Civil Guard, Valencia’s Firefighters, and multiple local police units, Telefónica, UAV Works, and audiovisual firm Mediterra Cinema, responsible for aerial drone footage

U-ELCOME PROJECT

The U-ELCOME project was launched in 2022 with funding from the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) in cooperation with the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking as one of its flagship Digital Sky Demonstrators (DSDs)

Drones have the potential to greatly support Europe's shift towards a green and digital economy. Addressing safety, security, privacy, social acceptance, and environmental concerns while creating a sustainable economic environment for the growth of the European drone industry is crucial. U-space services and smart traffic management solutions will be key in enabling drone operations and reaching the necessary high level of integration with Air Traffic Management (ATM).

U-ELCOME is a 3-year SESAR Digital Sky Demonstrator project, involving 51 partners whose overall aim is to support the market uptake of U1 and U2 services. With demonstrations taking place in three European countries, the project aims to develop interoperability and support EU harmonisation of U-space services. Taking into consideration the various U-Space actors and stakeholders this project values collaboration and information-sharing. Join us to find out more about the research project and what activities are planned and how the project hopes to make U-space a European reality.