On 27 March, the city of Benidorm, Spain, hosted a demonstration involving an air taxi flight, marking a significant step in the ongoing development of urban air mobility. This event was part of the SESAR JU project, U-ELCOME, demonstrating cutting-edge developments in urban airspace management, coordinated by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV).
As part of the demonstration, the EH216-S air taxi, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by EHang for passenger transport, flew seamlessly alongside 12 drones engaged in various simulated operations, including surveillance and emergency response. The operation involved the air taxi hovering at low altitudes—approximately 100 feet—over the sea, within a restricted and protected area. It was conducted in a controlled environment, ensuring no interaction with infrastructure or people on the ground. The entire event was carefully managed through multiple advanced digital platforms operating within the European U-space framework, guaranteeing both operational efficiency and flight safety.
The demonstration marks a significant milestone in the U-ELCOME Digital Sky Demonstrator, a European project funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) managed by SESAR Joint Undertaking. Bringing together 51 partners from Spain, France, and Italy, the project aims to validate U-space services for managing urban drone traffic.
Benidorm, a leader in embracing aerial innovation, continues to pave the way for urban air mobility solutions. As one of the first cities in Europe to test urban drone applications, it demonstrates the transformative potential of such technologies in building smarter and more connected urban environments.
This milestone was made possible through public-private collaboration, with contributions from ENAIRE, AESA, EHang, EUROCONTROL, and various research and security organisations. Through such collaborations, the U-ELCOME project is laying the foundation for greener, digital cities where air taxis and drones can become a part of daily life.
Read the press release (Spanish)
