Benidorm makes history with Europe’s first drone air taxi flight

Twelve drones and an air taxi, an unmanned aerial vehicle that can carry two passengers, flew simultaneously in an urban setting for the first time in Europe in the city of Benidorm. As a component of the European U-ELCOME project, this groundbreaking event was held on Poniente beach.

Several operational scenarios, such as the delivery and transportation of goods, surveillance, and rescue operations, were conducted during the demonstration. The European unmanned airspace management system (U-space) provided digital and automated platforms for flight supervision, ensuring every operation was safe and effective.

Israel Quintanilla, who is the coordinator of the project in the Valencian Community and the director of the Polytechnic University of Valencia’s (UPV) Official Drone Commission said that once the tests required to ensure their safety are finished, the use of these aerial vehicles for passenger and cargo transportation may become a reality within the next four to five years.

“These are validation tests, but the law does not yet authorise it. Quintanilla emphasised that operational safety is the top priority in civil aviation.

Drones are not just used for transportation. They are also essential to surveillance and rescue operations. As an illustration, consider the Benidorm Local Police, who were the first in the nation to use drones for security and rescue missions in 2016.

“Now this integration of drones in urban environments for emergencies and civil applications is a reality and is carried out naturally,” said the coordinator of the project.

Because of its distinctive skyline and urban design, which includes tall buildings, natural parks, an island, and a variety of urbanised locations, Benidorm was selected as the location for this first aerial demonstration in Europe by the U-ELCOME project, which consists of 51 partners from Spain, France, and Italy. Because of this, the city is a scalable model that may be used to other cities like New York or Dubai.

Quintanilla emphasised Benidorm City Council’s readiness to work with the project, which has enabled the city to establish itself as the standard in Spain for the most drone flights in R&D initiatives.