Skyports, a global leader in vertiport infrastructure and electric drone operations, has revealed that ACS Group, a prominent infrastructure and construction firm, has made a significant equity investment in the company, becoming its largest investor.
With $39 billion in revenue in 2023, ACS Group has invested through its wholly owned infrastructure development and concessions business, Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras S.A. (IRIDIUM). This investment aligns with ACS’s focus on sustainable and innovative transportation solutions.
The new capital will fuel key developments across both sectors of Skyports’ business. For Skyports Infrastructure, this funding will support the expansion of its vertiport network, including preparations for air taxi services in Dubai, which are scheduled to launch by 2026. Additionally, Skyports will continue to develop its presence in other global markets. Meanwhile, Skyports Drone Services will enhance its existing offerings, such as offshore energy asset deliveries, medical supply transport, linear asset inspections, and water quality monitoring services.
ACS INFRA, renowned for its large-scale transport projects and commitment to sustainable, inter-modal infrastructure, shares Skyports’ vision for the future of both passenger and cargo transport. ACS INFRA’s major projects include the Automated People Mover at Los Angeles International Airport and the metropolitan railway extension in Lima, Peru. As part of this collaboration, both companies will explore integrating drone delivery and inspection services into ACS Group’s vast portfolio of infrastructure assets, including its construction and mining ventures.
In addition to ACS’s new investment, Groupe ADP, a Paris-based airport operator and existing shareholder, will contribute additional capital in Skyports’ Series C funding round. The two companies first joined forces during Skyports’ Series A round in 2019, and since then, they have collaborated on key infrastructure projects, such as the European vertiport testbed in Paris, which was inaugurated in November 2022.
With this latest round of funding, IRIDIUM’s CEO, Nuria Haltiwanger, will join Skyports’ Board of Directors as Chairperson. 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.”
Nuria Haltiwanger, CEO of IRIDIUM, said, “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 grow Skyports 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.”
This strategic investment reinforces Skyports’ leading position in the market, following previous investments from notable companies in aviation and infrastructure, including Irelandia Aviation, Kanematsu, and Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures. Strategic partnerships for Skyports Infrastructure include Archer, Beta, Joby Aviation, Vertical Aerospace, and Volocopter. Skyports Drone Services collaborates with renowned organizations such as the UK National Health Service (NHS), Equinor, UPS, Royal Mail, Wilhelmsen, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
