Aerial Cities 2026, a C-level, invitation-only event for drone and AAM industry leaders in Fuerteventura, reveals its programme including 13 high-level panels and opens its speaker application
Aerial Cities, our yearly C-level, invite-only event for decision-makers working for the government, cities, as a first responder or in the drone and AAM industry returns for its fifth edition, hosted in Fuerteventura in partnership with Parque Tecnológico de Fuerteventura and the Cabildo de Fuerteventura.
Aerial Cities 2026 emphasises opportunities for C-level executives in the aerial environment to network and move from discussions to deployment through our engaging panel programme detailed below. Application to be a speaker on our panels is open until 1 June for experts with hands-on expertise wanting to be part of the discussion on our panel topics with an exclusive audience. Our pre-drinks event sponsored by ResilienX and our prestigious gala dinner are two out of many opportunities to engage in-depth conversations with the right stakeholders during our event.
Day 0: 3 November – Pre-event gathering and networking sponsored by ResilienX
This pre-event gathering will let an exclusive selection of the stakeholders of the industry connect in the Parque Tecnológico de Fuerteventura, setting the tone for two days of high-level conversations that will take place in this venue.
Bringing together attendees ahead of the main programme ensures that when the conversations begin, they build on established connections and a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities shaping the broader aerial environment.
Day 1: 4 November – Cities, Governments and Users perspectives from the last years
The first day addresses a core industry tension: technology is advancing, but operations are not scaling at the same pace. This means shifting the conversation from innovation to integration. The programme is structured to reflect this transition, from strategic framing to the operational conditions that ultimately determine market entry:
Opening Keynote – From Aerial City Vision to Operational Ecosystems
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.
Panel 1 – Aerial Ecosystems After the Pilot Phase: What Now Needs to Happen to Scale
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.
Panel 2 – Regulation as Infrastructure: SORA, Authority Capability and Operational Approval at Scale
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 defining the pace of deployment, and why the readiness of regulators, operators and public authorities is now central to scaling advanced aerial operations.
Panel 3 – Airspace Integration Beyond Drones: U-space, ATM, SWIM and Highly Automated Operations
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.
Panel 4 – Operational Readiness on the Ground: Launch Sites, Vertiports, Connectivity and Contingency Planning
Aerial ecosystems depend as much on what happens on the ground as in the air. From launch and landing sites to communications, tracking, emergency procedures and supporting infrastructure, operational readiness requires a coordinated approach across multiple layers. This panel will examine what must be in place on the ground to support safe, repeatable and scalable operations.
Panel 5 – Certification, Compatibility and Safety Case: The Real Gatekeepers of Market Entry
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.
Day 2: 5 November – Aerial operations deployment and market adoption for decision-makers
While the first day of the event defines the conditions, Day 2 focuses on what it takes to apply them in real environments. Using Fuerteventura as a live testing environment, we will explore how different operational realities come together, and what still prevents the ecosystem from closing the gap between ambition and execution.
The programme builds toward this objective through a series of implementation-focused sessions:
Session 1 – Fuerteventura as a Living Test Environment: Why Islands Matter in the Future Airspace Economy
Fuerteventura is more than a host location. It represents the type of geography where new aerial operations can be tested, refined and demonstrated. This session will explore why islands and remote environments are emerging as important proving grounds for future airspace concepts, and why Fuerteventura is particularly well positioned to play that role.
Panel 6 – From Ground to Stratosphere: Integrating Drones, HAPS and Future Aerospace Operations
The future aerial ecosystem will not stop at low-altitude drone operations. It will increasingly include high-altitude platform systems, stratospheric operations and new forms of aerospace activity sharing the same broader environment. This panel will examine what it takes to integrate these layers safely and effectively, and why the challenge is not only technological, but also operational, regulatory and strategic.
Panel 7 – Dual-Use Aerial Systems: Civil, Security and Defence Convergence
The boundaries between civil, security and defence applications are increasingly blurred. Technologies, operational concepts and airspace integration challenges are often shared across use cases, even if missions differ. This panel will explore how dual-use aerial systems are making the sector evolve and how capabilities developed for one domain can accelerate progress in others. The discussion will focus on integration into airspace, operational requirements, resilience, and the role of public authorities in enabling safe and effective use across different contexts.
Panel 8 – Designing Operations That Authorities Approve: From Concept of Operations to Real Flights
One of the biggest gaps between ambition and reality lies in the translation from concept to approved operation. This panel will explore how operators, authorities and infrastructure stakeholders move from high-level concepts to detailed, approvable operations. It will focus on ConOps development, operational procedures, airspace design, risk assessment and the practical challenges of turning a mission into something that can be safely authorised and repeatedly executed.
Panel 9 – Social Licence to Operate: Trust, Visibility and Community Acceptance in Real Environments
Public acceptance is not a soft issue at the margins of the sector. It is a core condition for deployment. This panel will explore how trust is built, how communities evaluate the value of new operations, and why visibility, transparency and usefulness matter as much as safety and performance. The discussion will focus on how operators, authorities and local stakeholders can work together to build lasting legitimacy.
Panel 10 – Who Pays for Scale? Procurement, Business Models and Investable Aerial Infrastructure
As the market becomes more selective, the question of who funds deployment becomes increasingly important. This panel will examine the commercial side of scale, from procurement models and public-sector demand to private investment and infrastructure financing. Speakers will discuss what makes projects credible, what buyers are really looking for, and how the sector can move from experimentation to sustainable market structures.
Closing Panel – The Next 12 Months: Where Aerial Ecosystems Will Scale First, and Why
Not all markets will move at the same pace. This closing panel will identify the environments, use cases and ecosystem models most likely to scale over the next 12 months. It will bring together the key insights of the conference to assess where momentum is strongest and what needs to happen next for the sector to progress.
Prestigious gala dinner
The second day will conclude with Aerial Cities’ prestigious gala dinner, an integral part of the event where conversations move beyond the stage into a more informal, high-level setting. Bringing together C-level executives, public authorities, governments, users and industry leaders, the evening is designed as an exclusive networking space and a unique opportunity to strengthen relationships and align on shared priorities following two days of focused discussions.
A 5th edition, once again addressing the meaningful topics of today
Aerial Cities has been acclaimed in its successful past editions for the quality of the topics addressed and the content discussed through the event.
Emily Demarche, Chief Financial Officer of NUAIR Alliance, shared her experience at Aerial Cities 2025 by stating that “Aerial Cities remains one of the premier events in the industry. Its focused business approach and emphasis on real-world application set it apart from most conference models. Bringing together C-level executives from around the world to share insights, collaborate, and address challenges from a business perspective is truly outstanding.
We are proud to present a fifth edition presenting once again a high-level programme.
Confirmed sponsors actively contributing to the development of the aerial ecosystem, including the drone industry, through Aerial Cities 2026
This year’s edition is supported by key organisations contributing to the evolution of aerial ecosystems, including ENAIRE, ResilienX, uAvionix Corporation, Moonrock Insurance, BCN Drone Center, Tulsa, Unisphere and Murzilli Consulting.
Their work spans airspace management, safety systems, insurance, operations and infrastructure, reflecting the range of capabilities required to move from isolated initiatives to consistent, real-world deployment.
The pre-drinks event on 3 November, presented by ResilienX, is an excellent opportunity to meet and discuss with decision-making actors of the aerial environment to introduce the two days of in-depth discussions lead through Aerial Cities 2026.
Save the date: Aerial Cities 2026 on 4-5 November and its gathering pre-event on 3 November for C-Level drone and AAM ecosystem leaders, governments and users
On 4–5 November in Fuerteventura, Aerial Cities 2026 convenes C-level executives across governments, Civil Aviation Authorities, telecom providers, first responders and industry leaders.
Across two days, the programme brings together the full scope of topics defining aerial operations today, from regulatory frameworks and airspace integration (U-space, ATM, SWIM) to operational design, ground infrastructure, certification, dual-use systems, public acceptance and financing models. The sessions follow a clear progression from ecosystem foundations to real-world implementation, reflecting how these elements connect in practice.
Beyond the panels, the event is structured to facilitate direct exchanges between stakeholders working across these areas, creating opportunities to connect, align and progress ongoing initiatives.
Explore partnership, speaker and attendance opportunities:
https://aerialcities.dronetalks.online/
