Pegasus Aero Group, CATEC and Bluenest by Globalvia sign alliance to create a center for testing drones in advanced air mobility

The aeronautical company Pegasus Aero Group, CATEC (the Advanced Centre for Aerospace Technologies), and the leading company in the development and management of vertiports Bluenest by Globalvia, have signed a collaboration agreement. This coincides with the celebration of UNVEX, the largest European meeting of unmanned aircraft professionals, to create a Centre dedicated to the validation and testing of drones in advanced aerial and urban mobility.

This facility, which will be located in Aerópolis (Seville), will mainly develop projects for testing unmanned platforms, installations and services in vertiports and flight tests with drones in urban areas. This complements other initiatives that are being developed in Seville in relation to UAS and advanced air mobility.

The center will feature state-of-the-art facilities, including a reserved area of the heliport of Seilaf, a subsidiary of Grupo Pegasus, where CATEC researchers will be able to conduct flight tests, avionics checks, payloads assessments, maintenance operations and drone pilot training, among other uses. In addition, Bluenest will have a team of expert engineers in infrastructure and IT that will develop an advanced operational solution for advanced vertiports for large autonomous drones and electric passenger aircraft in collaboration with other entities with common initiatives. Pegasus Aero Group will contribute its more than 50 years of experience as an operator of manned aircraft and, in the near future, also unmanned aircraft to the development of procedures and support in the management of permits with the competent authority.

The main focus will be on the validation of infrastructure and drones specifically designed for urban air mobility. These improvements can be used for a variety of applications, such as parcel delivery, traffic surveillance, air taxis and infrastructure inspection, among other services. It is expected that these technologies will not only improve the efficiency of urban services, but also help reduce congestion and carbon emissions.

In addition, these three entities will work to incorporate knowledge agents and universities into the project.

The General Director of CATEC, Joaquín Rodríguez, emphasized that “this collaboration represents a significant leap forward in Andalusia's capacity for the validation of UAS technologies and urban air mobility. It brings together three entities with a recognized track record in the sector, who are committed to developing this new type of mobility, thereby adding new initiatives to continue boosting the business fabric”.

For his part, the General Director of Bluenest by Globalvia, José Ignacio Rodríguez, added, “We consider this strategic alliance with companies we already collaborate with on various initiatives and projects in Andalusia and other regions to be highly significant. By joining forces with natural and strategic partners in urban air mobility, we multiply the results and reach.” Finally, the Innovation Director of Pegasus Aero Group, José Luis Quiros, emphasized that “the complementarity of the three partners, each bringing very relevant capabilities in their area of expertise, can only lead to a faster and more solid progress towards achieving our goals and contribute to positioning Seville as a reference in the field of urban mobility”.

The agreement was signed by the Innovation Director of Pegasus Aero Group, Jose Luis Quirós, the General Director of CATEC, Joaquín Rodríguez, and the General Director of Bluenest by Globalvia, José Ignacio Rodríguez.