Flying taxis will become a reality over the Costa del Sol within two years, it has emerged.
It comes after Spain’s air navigation authority confirmed Malaga and Marbella have been selected for real-world trial flights.
State-owned air traffic manager Enaire announced it will carry out demonstrations using electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), commonly known as air taxis, in 2028 as part of a major EU-backed project.
The tests form part of Verti-Go (Vertical Operations Ready to Go), a European initiative involving 12 aviation organisations that aims to prepare cities for the introduction of urban air mobility.
Malaga and Marbella have been chosen to test how air taxis can safely operate alongside commercial aircraft and cargo drones in busy airspace.
Enaire said it will develop the procedures needed to coordinate traditional aviation with the next generation of electric passenger aircraft, while also testing digital air traffic management systems and flight routes between the two Costa del Sol destinations.
The project will also examine automated flight planning, digital management of vertiports – dedicated take-off and landing hubs for air taxis – and contingency routes for aircraft operating over densely populated urban areas.
Led by Honeywell Aerospace and backed by the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, the consortium also includes aviation organisations such as Eurocontrol, NATS, Aena and aircraft manufacturer Vertical Aerospace.
Running from June 2026 until May 2029, the project has a budget of €6.77million, with almost €5million funded by the EU.
Malaga to Marbella in just 15 minutes
The announcement comes as private companies continue developing plans for commercial air taxi services on the Costa del Sol.
Spanish firm Crisalion Mobility has already unveiled plans to connect Malaga and Marbella with electric aircraft by 2030.
The company recently signed an agreement with private aviation operator iJet Aviation, promising to ‘change the way people travel’ across the province.
Chief executive Manuel Heredia described the aircraft as ‘a hybrid between a helicopter and an aeroplane’, adding that it is significantly quieter than conventional helicopters.
The company’s FlyFree eVTOL is designed to carry a pilot and up to five passengers, has a range of 130km and a cruising speed of 180km/hr.
Journeys between Malaga and Marbella are expected to take between 10 and 15 minutes, compared with around 40 minutes by car in light traffic.
Tickets are expected to cost around €100 per passenger – roughly a quarter of the price of hiring a helicopter for the same journey.
If the trials prove successful, they could pave the way for one of Europe’s first urban air mobility corridors, placing the Costa del Sol at the forefront of a transport revolution that aviation experts believe could become commonplace over the next decade.
