Madrid - Lisbon, 29 November 2023
On 20th of November, Helibravo Aviação and Bluenest by Globalvia, announced at AAM Summit Lisbon a remarkable cooperation agreement to jointly promote Urban and Advanced Air Mobility (UAM/AAM) in Portugal. By combining each company capabilities and experience in operations and infrastructure, we are set to foster the development, deployment, and operation of vertiports and eVTOLs.
The development of this collaboration, aligned strategy and pilot projects, will allow to evaluate, and validate the transition from conventional helicopter flights to advanced air mobility with eVTOL aircrafts. The goal is demonstrating the feasibility, safety, and affordability of UAM/AAM projects, including how the traditional heliports infrastructure will evolve into vertiports.
Helibravo Aviação, the Portuguese market leader in passengers’ transportation with helicopters, has experience in certifying and managing heliport infrastructure. Helibravo employs a 100% Portuguese technicians, engineers and pilots and manage its own fleet and operations. The awareness of the importance of finding alternatives and evolving from helicopter to eVTOL flights for UAM/AAM, ensuring safety, efficiency, sustainability, and operability is paramount. Optimizing the service to passengers and cargo in vertiports was the key to develop a Joint Venture project with Bluenest by Globalvia, an expert in air mobility infrastructure (vertiports), with the objective to test the first designs and systems developed in a real operational environment to gather relevant data in Portugal as a benchmark, including demo test flights with an eVTOL.
Hence, the aim of this collaboration is to co-develop the first network of vertiports that will launch Urban Air Mobility in key locations in Portugal, for both passengers and goods (cargo logistics). Additionally, both companies will explore future commercial operations in vertiports for air shuttle, panoramic tours, and emergency services.
“By joining forces with Helibravo, we are confident that we can accelerate the development of urban air mobility in Portugal. Our partnership will make it easier to overcome challenges andleverage our collective expertise, and we look forward to delivering a new eraof mobility to the region.” says Jose Rodriguez, Managing Director of Bluenest by Globalvia.
The transition from our current business modelwith helicopters operations to sustainable mobility and UAM operations of eVTOLs has been our vision as a natural evolution of Helibravo. The strategic collaboration with Bluenest is paramount to ensure our joint mission to populate Portugal with vertiports,ensuring safety, experience, and efficiency in the required infrastructure.“ says João Bravo, CEO of Helibravo Aviação.
Bluenest is the company of the Globalvia Group developing urban air mobility worldwide. Globalvia is a world leader in managing transportinfrastructure concessions and mobility services, designed to promote thesustainable development of the communities. The company manages 21 highways and 7 railways, high speed rail and the largest bus and train operator in the United Kingdom. Globalvia is present across ten countries in three continents: Spain, Portugal, USA, Ireland, Costa Rica, Chile, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway,and Singapore.
Helibravo Aviação is the leading Portuguese company in short-distance passenger air transport, with tourist helicopter flights in Lisbon and Porto, as well as in other aerial work operations such as firefighting, SAR and SPO. Helibravo has a nationally renowned helicopter pilot school.
This undertaking will bring significant benefits to both parties to jointly tackle the challenges for the urban air mobility to thrive in Portugal, with real projects, tests, and joint commercialization efforts. With this significant milestone in the development of Urban Air Mobility in Portugal, Helibravo and Bluenest by Globalvia demonstrate their commitment to advancing innovative solutions for sustainable and efficient transportation.
