Opening Keynote: From Aerial City Vision to Operational Ecosystems
- Cristóbal David de Vera Cabrera David Pérez-Dionis Chinea Lola García Montserrat Mestres Domenech
The conversation around aerial cities is evolving. In 2026, the key question is no longer whether advanced aerial operations are technically possible, but how they can be integrated into real environments through regulation, infrastructure, operational design and public trust. This opening keynote will set the tone for the event by exploring why the sector is moving from isolated pilots to connected, scalable ecosystems.
Aerial Ecosystems After the Pilot Phase: What Now Needs to Happen to Scale
- Andrew Carter Sascha Hardegger Mark Balsdon Lorenzo Murzilli
The market has matured, but scale remains elusive. This panel will examine what has changed over the past year, where real progress is being made, and why moving beyond pilot projects now depends on ecosystem readiness rather than technology alone. Speakers will discuss the conditions needed to turn promising concepts into repeatable operations with long-term value.
Regulation as Infrastructure: SORA, Authority Capability and Operational Approval at Scale
- Enda Walsh Natale Di Rubbo Richard Ellis Ángel Alves Lorenzo Murzilli
Regulation is no longer just a compliance exercise. It is becoming one of the foundational enablers of market growth. This panel will explore how SORA, regulatory frameworks and authority capability are shaping the pace of deployment, and why the readiness of regulators, operators and public authorities is now central to scaling advanced aerial operations.
Airspace Integration Beyond Drones: U-space, ATM, SWIM and Highly Automated Operations
- Thomas Jimenez Daniel García-Monteavaro Dr. Hrishikesh Ballal
As operations become more advanced, integration into the wider airspace system becomes the real challenge. This panel will focus on U-space, ATM modernisation, SWIM and the data-driven architectures required to support increasingly automated and diverse operations. The discussion will look at how the industry can move from fragmented solutions toward interoperable airspace ecosystems.
Operational Readiness on the Ground: Launch Sites, Vertiports, Connectivity and Contingency Planning
- Dr. Christoph Selig Alberto Iovino
Aerial ecosystems depend as much on what happens on the ground as in the air. From launch and landing sites to airspace design and management, communications, tracking, emergency procedures, supporting infrastructure and enabling services, operational readiness requires a coordinated approach across multiple layers. This panel will examine what must be in place on the ground and in the air, to support safe, repeatable and scalable operations.
Certification, Compatibility and Safety Case: The Real Gatekeepers of Market Entry
- Thomas Eder Dario Di Martino Amin ELMRABTI Jordi Salvador Francisco Javier Muñoz Lorenzo Murzilli
Certification and safety assurance are increasingly defining who can enter the market and who cannot. This panel will look at aeronautical compatibility, safety case development and the practical interfaces between certification, operational approval and infrastructure deployment. It will highlight why assurance has become one of the decisive elements in moving from ambition to implementation.
