What Does Innovative Air Mobility Need to Fly Higher?
Innovation in air mobility — known as Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) — is at an inflection point. Whilst electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) and autonomous platforms proliferate as prototypes, their actual large-scale deployment demands more than technology: it requires infrastructure, regulated airspace and ready test systems. In Spain, three pillars — vertiports, HAPS (High Altitude Platform Systems) and test centres — represent the key challenges. Vertiports, designed for eVTOL and large-scale drones, still lack accepted standards at the majority of Spanish airports. Their development entails resolving urban planning issues and land-use compatibility. For their part, HAPS act as real-time connectivity nodes and communications support for IAM, but their deployment requires a regulatory framework covering altitude and spectrum use that guarantees compatibility with conventional air traffic. Validation of these systems demands test centres capable of simulating real-world conditions. Although initiatives such as CEUS and CEDEA from INTA exist, experts note that the available spaces are limited and certification requirements have not yet been fully defined. Beyond the technical challenges, U-Space regulation, BVLOS permits and financing through Next Generation funds are emerging as critical factors. For innovative air mobility to take off, it is necessary to define a vertiport network with unified regulations, integrate HAPS as support infrastructure, expand the capabilities of test centres and promote training programmes that generate digital talent. Spain possesses the ingredients to lead this change, but the implementation of these three pillars — infrastructure, connectivity and certification — must be aligned with a strategic industrial vision.
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