Rise in travel: Malaga´s airport in the summer months is regularly one of the busiest airports in Europe. Credit: the touch / Shutterstock
Marbella to Malaga in 15 minutes—the highly anticipated air taxi coming soon
Malaga´s Costa del Sol airport is at the forefront of the development of what is being called the ´air taxi´ concept, which, in a few years, could connect Malaga to Marbella in as little as 15 minutes.
The project envisions the construction of a ‘vertiport´, similar to a heliport but for 100 per cent electric drones, equipped with high-power charging ports and acting as functionally a new terminal at Malaga´s Costa del Sol airport.
The project is aiming to begin test flights between Malaga and Granada in the latter half of 2025. Depending on the time it takes the EU regulatory framework to approve it all and technological improvements to bring costs down, passenger flights may be available as soon as 2028.
Malaga has proven a suitable testing ground for this project as its aerospace industry, particularly regarding drones, continues to grow.
Raúl Delgado, head of the control tower at the airport, illustrates the vision Enaire hopes to construct. “Passengers will arrive by plane from London, go to the ‘vertiport’ area, and get on a drone that will take them to Granada or Marbella, or a hotel in the city centre, or their home in the countryside.
The project is split into two sub-projects, OperA and Ensure. The first strives to develop protocols to responsibly and efficiently combine the two urban centres. The second project, Ensure, is studying how to safely combine vertical-takeoff drones with existing airport infrastructure and air traffic.
Malaga eagerly volunteered to host the project, led by Spanish aerospace company Enaire and their R&D branch, Crida. They aim to have the project be 100 per cent electric and hope to provide a service that is accessible to many different customers, not just the ultra-rich.
