Shannon research body planning for air taxis in Ireland within three years

The Future Mobility Campus Ireland expects to have aircraft capable of carrying up to four passengers operating in the country in 2027

A number of air taxi aircraft are in development across the world including at the Future Mobility Campus Ireland in Shannon. File Picture. Getty

A Shannon-based research body said Ireland is on track to accommodate air taxi services within three years.

The Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FMCI) is amongst a group of global experts to take part in a conference in Dublin next month on the future of transport and mobility in Europe (TRA2024). The organisation is working on developing a new space for smarter, safer, more sustainable transport for people and goods. 

Based in the Shannon Free Zone, it provides facilities for researchers, software developers and companies to test their innovations. One of FMCI’s top projects is the development of Ireland’s first electric passenger and cargo aircraft research facility. 

This will enable the launch of Ireland’s first electric air taxi service and routine ‘beyond visual line of sight’ (BVLOS) drone operations. CEO of FMCI, Russell Vickers, says the team is making good progress. 

"We’re on track to enable passenger services to operate in Ireland in 2027. We expect the initial flights will be centred around our test area here in Shannon, Co Clare, with aircraft capable of carrying up to four passengers at a time. It’s an incredibly exciting, collaborative effort involving ourselves, Shannon Airport Group and other key partners.”

The FMCI facilitates the test and validation of mobility innovations on the road and in the air allowing researchers and companies both in Ireland and internationally to trial, test and innovate solutions in a ‘laboratory with real-life conditions’.

The FMCI includes 4km of public road network within the Shannon Industrial Estate that includes CCTV cameras, sensors and traffic lights to act as a testbed for autonomous vehicles and micro-mobility devices. FMCI is also part of a consortium with plans to develop a passenger and cargo vertiport using unmanned aircraft.

Vickers said the development of sustainable transport will suit the skillsets of Ireland’s engineering community. “Ireland has never been in a position to compete for the kind of heavy industry involved in fossil fuel powered transport. However, as renewable and sustainable factors become more important, we know we have the technological talent to put ourselves at the forefront of innovation for an industry that’s set to evolve for many years to come”.

Amongst the themes to be discussed each day at TRA2024 in Dublin next month are safe and inclusive transport, sustainable mobility of people and goods, efficient and resilient infrastructure and collaborative digitalisation. TRA2024 is supported by the European Commission and the Irish Government.

Dr Bob Flynn is a National Contact Point for Horizon Europe - Climate, Energy and Mobility at Enterprise Ireland and works with the team at FMCI. 

He said: “Russell and his team at FMCI are an outstanding example of the innovative minds creating the future of transport, right here in Ireland, and theirs is the kind of work we are excited to platform at the RDS next month. We have no doubt their ambition, talent and achievements to date will captivate our international delegates and spark really important discussions”.