Unless it's blocked by Las Palmas, which is usually the case when southern Gran Canaria wants to take the lead in something, the Maspalomas Aeroclub could host a vertiport within a few years. The 2nd Canary Islands Aerospace Congress analyzed these infrastructures. In other words: a takeoff and landing platform for air taxis that could connect southern Gran Canaria with the northwest, allowing connections to Tenerife by ferry and even direct flights to the southern tourist hub of Tenerife or Morro Jable in Fuerteventura.
If there's one place in the Canary Islands that has captivated eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) developers, it's Maspalomas, much like in Florida. With at least ten vertiports planned and cities like Miami and Los Angeles leading the way in converting rooftops and parking lots into air hubs, the Canary Islands are a prime target. However, unlike the Florida model—driven by aggressive private investment and more flexible federal regulations—the deployment in the Canaries must navigate the waters of European technological sovereignty. While in Miami vertiports are integrated into residential skyscrapers, in Maspalomas ENAIRE is pursuing a hybrid model: facilities that operate with the precision of an airport (with its security, maintenance, and electric charging zones), but with the agility needed to operate in protected urban and tourist environments.
ENAIRE's strategy in southern Gran Canaria is clear: it's not enough to simply replicate Florida's success; they must lead the European U-space initiative so that these "sky taxis" not only connect hotels with airports, but also become an essential public service. The vision of aerospace lobbies in Brussels is that if Maspalomas manages to implement its network of vertiports according to EU standards, the Canary Islands will cease to be merely a recipient of technology and will become an exporter of this advanced air traffic management model for all the outermost regions of the world.
