Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), one of the founding companies of UrbanV (formerly Urban Blue) which intends to build a network of vertiports in Italy and France, is partnering with Italian aerospace company Leonardo to equip its vertiports with air traffic control (ATC) and unmanned air traffic control (UTM) solutions.
The companies recently announced the partnership at the World ATM Congress in Madrid, Spain, and said they plan to study and test new technology and ground equipment that could be used in ADR’s vertiports.
Ivan Bassato, chief aviation officer of ADR, said the companies are working to have a vertiport network ready by 2024 for experimental air taxi operations between Fiumicino airport and the city of Rome.
“This first commercial route would be among the very first in the world to take advantage of urban air mobility, which represents the perfect synthesis of our commitment to two key strategic objectives: sustainability and innovation, which we also prioritize in our infrastructure projects for the airport of the future,” Bassato said.
The partnership builds off of the agreement the two companies signed earlier this year to explore urban air mobility — in particular, solutions for ground infrastructure and air traffic control.
