Marbella prepares to test the Costa del Sol’s first electric air taxis

Marbella could become one of the first places in Spain to see real test flights of electric air taxis. The town will be part of the demonstrations planned for 2028 under VERTI-GO, a European project focused on integrating new forms of aerial mobility into urban and tourist environments.

The initiative will test electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, known as eVTOLs. These vehicles operate as a hybrid between a helicopter and an electric aircraft, as they can take off vertically before flying like a conventional plane.

Marbella as a strategic point for aerial mobility

Marbella’s selection is no coincidence. The town is one of the main tourist destinations on the Costa del Sol, with strong demand for transport links between Marbella, Málaga Airport, Málaga city and other points along the coast.

The future Marbella-Málaga route will be used to study how these air taxis could operate in a real environment where commercial aviation, private flights, cargo drones, maritime traffic, residential areas and intense tourism activity all coexist.

The aim is not to launch a commercial service immediately, but to test procedures, routes, digital flight planning, vertiport management and safety measures so that this type of transport could be integrated in the future without interfering with conventional aviation.

What will be tested in 2028

The demonstrations planned for 2028 will analyse how to organise the air traffic generated by these vehicles, how to coordinate their movements with other aircraft and which systems will be needed to manage operations in real time.

Enaire, Spain’s national air navigation manager, will take part in designing the procedures that allow air taxis, cargo drones and traditional aviation to operate safely together.

The project will also study contingency routes and automation tools for operating in complex urban environments.

VERTI-GO will run from 2026 to 2029 and is funded by SESAR Joint Undertaking, the European initiative dedicated to modernising air traffic management. The consortium is led by Honeywell and includes organisations such as Aena, Enaire, Eurocontrol, NATS and Vertical Aerospace.

Faster journeys between Marbella and Málaga

Although the tests will be experimental, the appeal of this technology lies in its possible future use on high-demand routes. In Marbella’s case, one of the clearest examples would be a faster connection with Málaga and its airport.

Companies in the sector estimate that an aerial journey between Málaga and Marbella could take around 10 to 15 minutes, compared with road journeys that depend heavily on traffic along the A-7 and AP-7. Previous business estimates have suggested a possible price of around €100 per passenger, although this is not an official fare.

A project with potential for premium tourism

For Marbella, the arrival of these tests has added value. The town has long positioned itself as an international destination for luxury tourism, residential tourism, golf, yachting, gastronomy and events. A fast aerial connection with Málaga would be especially attractive to high-spending travellers, business visitors and users looking for more exclusive transport options.

However, the project also raises important questions: where future vertiports would be located, how noise would be managed, what impact operations could have on residential areas and which safety requirements would need to be met before any regular service could be approved.

For now, the key lies in the tests. Marbella will be one of the places where this new form of aerial mobility will be assessed to determine whether it can move from theory to a safe, viable model compatible with everyday life on the Costa del Sol.

📍 Planned test route: Marbella-Málaga.
📅 Year of demonstrations: 2028.
✈️ Type of aircraft: eVTOL, electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle.
🌍 Project: VERTI-GO.
🏛️ Participants: Enaire, Aena, Honeywell, Eurocontrol, NATS, Vertical Aerospace and other European partners.
🎯 Objective: to test the safe integration of air taxis, cargo drones and conventional aviation.

The information comes from the article published by Diario SUR, coverage by Málaga Hoy and official details from the VERTI-GO project.