ENAC and Florence sign AAM protocol

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Ente Nazionale per l’Aviazione Civile (ENAC) and the Municipality of Florence, Italy have signed an AAM protocol which aims to have drones operational for the transport of people, goods and medicines in three years. 

“Florence will be among the first European cities to experiment with advanced technological systems for the air transport of goods and people,” said Florence’s mayor, Dario Nardella. 

“This protocol represents an absolute novelty that will enable us to start working seriously on a new and modern that includes, for example, areas reserved for VTOLs for transporting people; or territorial control systems for urban security; or even delivery activities. After Covid, those who stop in technological innovation are lost. The first Smart city in Italy aims to ‘conquer’ the skies as well: within 3 years the drones will fly to Florence,” said Nardella.

According to ENAC, AAM is an opportunity to introduce an innovative dimension of urban mobility at local and national level, offering an alternative to heavily congested land mobility by overcoming the limits of current forms of transport.

Pierluigi Di Palma, state attorney and president of ENAC, said: “Urban and advanced air mobility is rapidly transforming the idea and concept of transport and, by extension, travel. Making it a reality in the short term is a strategic objective of ENAC for the country, a fundamental asset for innovation, the economy, ecological transition and employment.”

Di Palma said the agreement with Florence represents “a synergy between institutions” that means the needs of a constantly evolving sector are met and the city moves towards “smart city and smart mobility models”. 

“The common goal is to improve the quality of life of citizens by harmonising innovation with sustainability and reducing the environmental impact. Achieving all this in a city of art like Florence means combining history and future, being at the forefront in Europe and in the world and further reviving the attractiveness of the city. Mayor Dario Nardella is also president of Eurocities, the association of the main European cities with more than 250,000 inhabitants: in this sense, he becomes ENAC’s institutional testimonial to continue to claim leadership in our country in terms of culture, history and innovation,” said Di Palma.