UrbanV, a vertiport operator, and construction and technology infrastructure firm Icad Holdings have announced a collaboration to advance air mobility infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. The partnership seeks to establish a framework for vertiport operations and develop plans for managing vertiport networks across the region.
“At UrbanV, we aim to improve people’s lives by enabling a fast, efficient, safe, and clean alternative to existing transport solutions for people and goods over short distances by air,” said Carlo Tursi, CEO of UrbanV. “We have the ambition to become a major global operator of vertiport networks and we will be global pioneers in establishing some of the first AAM routes worldwide.”
The infrastructure development plan includes defining takeoff and landing procedures, integrating technology, and outlining operational strategies for vertiports. UrbanV specializes in vertiport design and route evaluations, while Icad Holdings focuses on construction, technology integration, and operational management.
In addition to their collaboration with Icad Holdings, UrbanV has partnered with EAV jet maker Lilium and Aeroports de la Cote d’Azur to introduce electric jet flights in the South of France by 2026. This initiative aims to create a network linking Monaco, Nice, Cannes, Golfe de Saint-Tropez, Aix-en-Provence, and Marseille through a series of vertiports, including major airports like Nice Côte d’Azur.
The expansion of vertiport infrastructure underscores a broader trend in Europe and the Middle East towards developing facilities for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, which are pivotal for enabling air taxi services and supporting future urban air mobility networks.
