NextNorth, the air taxi platform that had announced a helicopter service using the Son Bonet aerodrome in Marratxi, has been informed that it will not be able to. It doesn't have permission from either the airports authority Aena or the state air navigation company Enaire for commercial passenger transport operations at Son Bonet.
Moreover, as it intends operating eVTOL planes, permission will be needed from AESA, the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency. The company is therefore now indicating that it will start up with internal flights in Ibiza from June 25 using Eurocopter AS 350 helicopters.
For the flights in Ibiza, NextNorth says that the price will depend on the length of the journey and whether it is private or ridesharing. For a shared flight, a seat could be booked from only 95 euros. "The objective is to democratise these flights as much as possible, to increase accessibility to the greatest number of people, which will be achieved with more volume of operations over time that allow the price per seat to be reduced."
Regarding the eVTOL planes, the company says that it hopes to have AESA certification before 2025.
Tourism industry response to the service, as and when it truly lifts off, has been positive. Anything that promotes inter-island mobility and routes on each island through sustainable and non-polluting means is to be welcomed.