Flying Taxi Vertiport Company Acquired by Airport OperatorFlying Taxi Vertiport Company Acquired by Airport Operator

Airport network operator Atlantic Aviation has acquired Ferrovial Vertiports, a global infrastructure company, advancing Atlantic Aviation’s plans to create an infrastructure for advanced air mobility (AAM) operations.

The plan is to incorporate eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) infrastructure expertise into the fixed base operator industry.

Vertiports are needed for the electric aerial vehicles (EAV) to take off and land, manage passengers and for the flying vehicles to be charged and maintained.

Ferrovial Vertiports becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlantic Aviation, operating as VertiPorts by Atlantic.

“We see tremendous long-term benefits and growth in building out infrastructure to support the advanced air mobility space,” said Jeff Foland, CEO of Atlantic Aviation. “The combination of our operational expertise with the outstanding work the Ferrovial Vertiports team has done so far will serve as a tremendous boost to safe and efficient eVTOL operations as the network develops.”

Ferrovial Vertiport recently partnered with UrbanLink Air Mobility, a South Florida AAM startup, to develop sites for the takeoff, landing and charging of EAVs. 

UrbanLink had agreed to purchase 20 eVTOL jets from Lilium to operate the flying vehicles in South Florida.

Related:Air Taxi Company Partners to Build Vertiports in Florida

Service was planned to start in 2026, with UrbanLink, Ferrovial and Lilium determining service routes and vertiport locations for initial eVTOL flights.

Lilium is seeking dual-type certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its flying vehicle.

Lilium recently partnered with an electric vehicle charging infrastructure and microgrid company Star Charge and ordered 120 chargers for its ground and flight-testing vehicles.

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The deal followed an announcement that Lilium was teaming with jet and helicopter operator PhilJets to establish AAM services in the Philippines and other Southeast Asia countries.

Lilium and PhilJets plan to jointly develop routes and determine passenger demand for an on-demand eVTOL service in the region, including the sale of 10 Lilium jets to PhilJets.

This is not the first announcement relating to EAV services starting in the Philippines.

LuftCar in Florida, the developer of a hydrogen-powered eVTOL, is also expanding into the Philippines via a recent partnership.

LuftCar and eFrancisco Motor Corporation (eFMC) agreed to develop and deploy the LuftCar flying car system in the Philippines.

Related:Flying Taxi Company Lands 20-Unit Order for US Operations

The LuftCar hydrogen-powered air vehicle would connect to and lift road vehicles created by eFMC, a major jeepney manufacturer.

In the Lilium-PhilJets partnership, the plan is to bring high-speed regional air mobility to Southeast Asia.

The seven-seater Lilium vehicles are planned as a regional air mobility service, connecting cities and towns up to 125 miles apart at speeds of up to 185 mph.

The flying vehicle features forward canards (small wings near the front) along with main wings and a distributed propulsion system with fixed landing gear without hydraulics.

During takeoff, the plane would use its 36 electric ducted fans to hover for up to 25 seconds and 20 seconds during the landing phase, according to the company. Most of the flight time would be in the cruise stage with a relatively short takeoff and landing time.

The company estimates the range of the craft at 150 miles.

Lilium has teamed with the Lufthansa Group to explore opportunities in aviation including ground and flight operations, EAV maintenance and flight training in Europe.

Founded in 2015, Lilium has manufacturing facilities in Munich, Germany, with teams in the U.S. and Europe with the European market expected to account for more than 9,000 vehicles through 2035.

Related:Flying Taxi Company Buying 120 Chargers; Liquid-Cooled Cables

The fuselage for the Lilium jet was developed by Aciturri in Spain, with delivery to Lilium facilities in Germany. Aciturri, also a Lilium investor, has designed and manufactured airframe components for Airbus, Boeing and Embraer.

In late 2024, Lilium signed an asset purchase agreement with the Mobile Uplift Corporation, allowing the flying taxi company to restart business operations.

The deal with Mobile Uplift, a company set up by a consortium of investors from Europe and North America, would give the new investors the operating assets of the subsidiaries Lilium GmbH and Lilium eAircraft GmbH.

Lilium is not alone in the race for new air transportation services, including flying cars, personal air vehicles, ultralights, which do not require a pilot license, and certified vehicles, which require a license.

One eVTOL company, Joby Aviation, is building a facility in Dayton, Ohio, to deliver up to 500 eVTOL vehicles a year. Joby has partnerships with Uber and Delta Air Lines.