A consortium of companies has run a test flight in Costa Rica to demonstrate the infrastructure and potential of eVTOL aircraft operations.
Bluenest by Globalvia, Guanacaste Airport (VINCI Airports) and Reserva Conchal partner to run the demonstration flight at Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The companies said the flight was the first such flight conducted in Latin America.
Bluenest is the innovation line for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and vertiport management, Guanacaste Aeropuerto is a subsidiary of VINCI Airports, and Reserva Conchal is the hospitality division of FIFCO,
The flight used an EHang EH216, unmanned eVTOL aircraft which took off from a heliport located in Reserva Conchal. The aircraft flew over the golf course, the coastal area, the sea, and a large resort area and landed at the same point on the heliport.
The companies presented use cases proposed for Costa Rica, which ranged from tourist routes with panoramic views to faster transfers from the airport to the center of the country or urgent delivery of medicines in remote areas.
The companies worked in partnership with inspectors from the General Directorate of Civil Aviation of Costa Rica to supervise the flight.
Fernando Vallejo Lázaro, director of innovation, IT, and Sustainability at Globalvia, said, “Sustainability and innovation are the two fundamental pillars that govern Globalvia's strategy and, precisely, sustainable advanced air mobility brings together both qualities.
“We are convinced that Costa Rica is the perfect place to develop this mobility of the future that has taken off and landed in this country today. Making this milestone a reality, thanks to the collaboration with our partners, reflects our firm commitment to the project and this region.”
José Ignacio Rodríguez, manager of Bluenest by Globalvia, said, "We are satisfied and proud to have contributed to a milestone in advanced and sustainable air mobility in the Latin American region, with the first flight of an unmanned electric aircraft for passengers.
“Our first validations of vertiports outside of Spain, with the invaluable support of the DGAC, Reserva Conchal, and Guanacaste Airport, are a great step for Bluenest and for the region in our common desire to offer safer, more efficient, quieter, and sustainable mobility to visitors and residents. We seein the Guanacaste region and the partners of this event the perfect combination to make the mobility of the future a reality very soon."
César Jaramillo, general manager of Guanacaste Airport said, “The support provided by VINCI Airports demonstrates the value of being part of the largest international network of private airports for the future development of the Guanacaste airport.”
Fabián Fernández, manager of the Reserva Conchal hospitality division of FIFCO said, “This first flight in our facilities allows us to dream of a more sustainable future that responds to the needs of our national and foreign clients, who increasingly demand green and clean options in their stays, minimizing their ecological footprint when vacationing."