Ferrovial is stepping up in its bid to become a major player in the burgeoning air taxi business. The company run by Rafael del Pino and Ignacio Madridejos has just concluded an alliance with British company Milligan to boost this activity in the UK by developing its first ports in the country. The Hispanic group now based in the Netherlands has an initial roadmap for entering this region in the US, UK and Spain.
Ferrovial and Milligan have joined forces to identify and develop sites for urban mobility operations in the UK. Both companies will work with Giant American engineering Aecom and British Lichfieldswho act as planning consultants.
The multinational has already closed other alliances in this field with Eve, Lilium or Vertical
Through this alliance, Ferrovial, which carries out this activity through its airports division, can take a new step in its plan to design, build and operate vertical ports in the UK. Through this collaboration, Partners will identify sites with high demand, will select potential sites and implement evaluation criteria to determine the feasibility of each site for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) operations. The agreement aims to enhance connectivity between towns and cities across the UK.
Ferrovial announced in 2021 its intention to publish a network of more than 25 ports in the UK. Previously, it had also revealed its plans to develop a network of more than 10 vertical ports in Florida (USA). To develop design and engineering components for airports, Ferrovial partnered two years ago with international architecture studio Grimshaw and with international engineering, management and development consultancy Mott MacDonald.
The Dutch multinational company has already signed an agreement in 2021 with the British helicopter company to boost vertical port activity, and last April it entered into an alliance with Eve Air Transport, a developer of urban air traffic management software controlled by Embraer and in which it owns Acciona (with a 1.14% stake in Eve Holding), to jointly manage port operation and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft. Similarly, Ferrovial maintains a strategic agreement with US aircraft manufacturer Lilium, in which it also holds a minority stake.
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