Skyports, a London-headquartered company developing flying taxis and vertiports, has raised $110m (£88.3m) to build a site in Dubai and launch services in 2026.
The business secured the backing of infrastructure and construction company ACS Group through its wholly owned subsidiary Concesiones deInfraestructuras as well as Paris-based airport operator Groupe ADP.
Skyports is looking to build four vertiports located by Dubai International Airport, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Downtown and Dubai Marina.
The business is also developing the UK’s first vertiport testbed in Bicester and is exploring the possibility of using drones to support port logistics in New York and New Jersey.
Skyports already flies packages for the Royal Mail to the island of Orkney, pathology samples for the NHS, and delivering vaccines to zero-dose children in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
As a result of its investment, ACS Group is to become the largest shareholder in Skyports.
The Series C investment will also see Iridium CEO Nuria Haltiwanger join the Skyports board as chair. Ramon Villaamil and Vicente Maraña will also join the board.
Duncan Walker, CEO and co-founder of Skyports, said: “With ACS backing, we are in the best possible position to advance commercial air taxi and electric drone services around the world.
“Investment from a world-class transport infrastructure leader serves as an endorsement of Skyports’ initiatives and underscores the immense potential of the market.
“Having ACS INFRA as a substantial shareholder in the company, together with their significant cash investment, puts Skyports in a market leading position, which will allow us to continue growing and enabling new aviation services.”
Skyports has previously secured investment from companies including Irelandia Aviation, Kanematsu, and Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures.
Nuria Haltiwanger, CEO of Iridium, added: “We are proud of our new partnership with Skyports, the leader in vertiport development, and the role we will be able to now play in the new and growing Advanced Air Mobility market.
“We are eager to bring our knowledge of large-scale infrastructure development and construction to help growSkyports and the overall AAM market. We are looking at how Skyports Drone Services’ expertise will help us to bring further efficiencies to our existing asset management, construction and mining businesses in the group.
“This investment in Skyports is a critical step in our strategy of further expansion in new generation infrastructure, particularly in sustainable mobility.”
