Benidorm hosted Europe’s first test of an air taxi flying simultaneously with drones in an urban environment. As part of the U-ELCOME project, EHang’s autonomous EH216-S air taxi took off alongside a dozen drones carrying out delivery and surveillance tasks. The tests were conducted under the supervision of three U-Space operators (ENAIRE, ITG and UAB), which ensured their safety.
Although safety, air traffic regulation and public trust must still be addressed before air taxis can be widely adopted, the test was an important step in the development of urban air mobility. Experts say its success will accelerate the development of the laws and infrastructure needed to integrate air transport.
Most important of all, city residents need to get used to the idea of uncrewed taxis flying overhead.
