FBO chain Atlantic Aviation has made a major splash in the advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure arena with the announcement today of its acquisition of Ferrovial Vertiports.
Ferrovial is one of the leaders in the development of specialized eVTOL aircraft operations hubs, and as a wholly-owned Atlantic Aviation subsidiary it will be rebranded as Vertiports by Atlantic. The company said the acquisition will allow it to continue to develop vertiports in multiple locations as air taxi services approach commercial launch.
“The Ferrovial team is pleased to join Atlantic Aviation to forge a transformative and visionary presence in the AAM infrastructure space,” said Kevin Cox, Ferrovial’s CEO who will remain to take on the same role in the new Atlantic business unit. “We’re setting a new standard for innovation and leadership in the industry which will transform how people move seamlessly to, through, and between cities.”
Atlantic is preparing to meet the coming AAM sector with ongoing installation of electric aircraft charging stations at key FBO locations, as well as commencing upgrades to New York City’s East 34th Street Heliport to accommodate their arrival. Ferrovial, which is part of the Spain-based airports, highways, and railroads group, previously announced partnerships with eVTOL developers including Eve Air Mobility, Lilium, and Vertical Aerospace, covering plans for vertiports at multiple sites in Europe and North America.
“We see tremendous long-term benefits and growth in building out infrastructure to support the [AAM] space,” said Atlantic CEO Jeff Foland. “The combination of our operational expertise with the outstanding work the Ferrovial Vertiports team has done so far will serve as a tremendous boost to safe and efficient eVTOL operations as the network develops.”
Along with rival FBO groups such as Signature Aviation, Clay Lacy Aviation, and Avflight, Atlantic Aviation has been progressively investing in charging infrastructure for both electric aircraft and ground vehicles. This has involved partnerships with eVTOL aircraft developers including Beta Technologies, Archer, and Joby.