Ireland's first air taxi service to begin trials in Shannon this year

Air taxi and cargo services would be provided using drones and unmanned aerial vehicles

A computer generated image of a vertiport that is proposed for Shannon. The port would provide passenger and cargo services using frones and unmanned aerial vehicles.

A group of companies have formed a partnership with plans to develop Ireland's first air taxi service in Shannon.

The Shannon Group, which operate Shannon Airport, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Skyports, Future Mobility Campus Ireland and Avtrain to establish a passenger and cargo vertiport with plans to begin operations next year.

The consortium has begun working towards launching beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) proof-of-concept operations as early as September of this year. These flights will demonstrate the viability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones. The long-term goal is the establishment of Ireland’s first air taxi service and routine long-distance drone operations.   

Russell Vickers, CEO Future Mobility Campus Ireland, Julie Garland, CEO Avtrain and John Drysdale, Business Development Manager Shannon IASC. Pic Arthur Ellis.

Those collaborating in this venture are: Skyports, an air taxi and cargo drone vertiport provider; Future Mobility Campus Ireland, a testbed for future mobility; Avtrain, a drone training and certification body; and Shannon Group’s International Aviation Services Centre, which supports one of Ireland’s largest aviation clusters located at Shannon.

The partnership will work towards launching an operational vertiport at Shannon’s FMCI campus in 2022, thereby encouraging participation and investment in Ireland’s Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) industry.