Private Jet Terminal Operator Signs Deal To Develop Network Of U.S. Air Taxi Hubs
A company that builds vertiports — or hubs where flying vehicles can take off and land without a runway — has struck a deal to develop the potential air taxi hubs on private aircraft terminals in New York, Florida and Texas.
Signature Aviation, an Orlando-based operator of private aircraft terminals, signed a joint venture agreement with Italian advanced air mobility infrastructure firm UrbanV to evaluate U.S. locations for a network of U.S. airports to host electric and hybrid vertical takeoff vehicles.
The firms are exploring locations in Signature’s existing airport network, which spans 200 locations in 27 countries, and beyond, according to a press release. The move is aimed at capturing demand born from the rapid advancement of piloted aircraft and unmanned drones capable of shuttling passengers and cargo short distances.
“We have the ambition to become a major global operator of vertiport networks, and we will pioneer the establishment of some of the first AAM routes,” UrbanV CEO Carlo Tursi said in a statement. “By leveraging UrbanV’s expertise in vertiport development and Signature Aviation’s established network of private aviation terminals, we are laying the foundations for seamless, efficient, and sustainable short-distance aerial transport in the United States.”
UrbanV was established in 2022 by Aeroporti di Roma, Save Group, Aeroporto di Bologna and Aeroports de la Côte d’Azur to test and operate eVTOLs, which stands for electric takeoff and landing aircraft.
The companies agreed to “focus on evaluating the economic viability and technical feasibility of building and managing networks of vertiports” starting with Florida, New York, California and Texas, with Signature leading regulatory discussions.
UrbanV signed a deal last month with Future Flight Global to operate advanced air mobility services in Rome, with aircraft purchased from Archer Aviation to be tested next year, AIN reported. It is also partnering with developers in Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
The advanced air mobility industry is set for an overdrive in growth. The industry is expected to reach $115B annually and employ more than 280,000 workers with high-paying jobs by 2035, according to a 2021 study by Deloitte. Vertical takeoff and landing vehicles designed for passengers are expected to be part of a $57B industry by 2035, according to the study.
The industry is getting a potential boost from the White House.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday to empower the Federal Aviation Administration to allow more “beyond visual line of sight” drone operations for public and commercial safety missions. The move will allow drone operators to fly aircraft beyond their visual lines of sight. The order also aims to speed up the integration of civilian drones into the National Airspace System, The Associated Press reported.
