Alexander D’Orsogna, Director General of the Italian civil aviation authority (ENAC) has provided an update on the country’s advanced air mobility (AAM) developments as part of a wider interview with Italian press agency AGEEI’s Aerospazionews.
D’Orsogna told Aerospazionews that the technology is mostly ready. “From a technological standpoint, we’re almost there. The industry is now mature, the technology can hold up, even if there are still several elements to overcome, the infrastructure can be functional and the operations are absolutely sustainable. What’s missing are the certifications, which are fundamental. And it is clear that the more the industry grows in terms of sophistication, both technologically and infrastructurally, the more service costs will decrease.”
Noting that realising AAM is not as straightforward as originally expected, D’Orsogna said there have been some difficult elements, such as aircraft certification for air taxis. “I remember that the first operator ever was supposed to be Volocopter for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” he said on the subject of air taxis. “The aircraft’s type certification from EASA never arrived, and this circumstance began to deflate commercial and financial interest in this sector. This led Europe, which was a pioneer at the time, to make further efforts to fuel its Advanced Air Mobility development.”
The Director General added that ENAC is making progress in the suborbital flight sector. “We have an agreement with Virgin Galactic and are studying the construction of a spaceport in Grottaglie and also, potentially, the development of aerospace activities at other national airports.”
Italy is also working on the Aviolancio project, managed by the National Research Council, for the launch of microsatellites using dedicated aircraft to meet the new needs of the Space Economy. “ENAC and ASI must work together to be pioneers in this sector at the international level, and all the conditions are in place to generate value together in this sector,” D’Orsogna said. “Our two agencies are already participating in the working groups for the preparation of the Prime Ministerial Decree for the implementation of the Law on Space, issued in June 2025.”
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Image: Alexander D’Orsogna, Director General ENAC (ENAC)