Brisbane 2032 could Bring Air Taxis
Queensland could see air taxis linked to Brisbane 2032 as Alt Air, Eve and Skyports map routes and vertiports.
What’s happening?
Alt Air has teamed up with Eve Air Mobility and Skyports Infrastructure to plan an electric air taxi network across Queensland and New South Wales.
The partnership is aimed at building a roadmap for high-visibility operations in time for the Brisbane 2032 Summer Games.
The plan brings together aircraft, route planning, vertiport sites, airspace integration, ground operations and customer experience under one operating model. Alt Air will draw on existing aviation assets in Sydney, including Sydney Harbour and Palm Beach, while Skyports explores new vertiport locations in Queensland.
Alt Air managing director Aaron Shaw said the group is designing an eVTOL network that will “significantly improve connectivity”.
Skyports Asia-Pacific head Yun-Yuan Tay said South East Queensland is one of the strongest launch markets in Australia and said Brisbane 2032 could help create a “legacy network” beyond the Games.
Why it matters?
This matters because the plan moves air taxis in Australia past the idea stage and into practical work. The partners are not only talking about aircraft, they are also planning where people would board, how routes would work, and how flights would fit with existing airports and ground transport.
It also gives Brisbane 2032 a possible transport role beyond roads and rail. The partnership says the Games could help bring early services into public view, while also setting up a model that could keep running after 2032 if the infrastructure and approvals fall into place.
Local Impact
For South East Queensland, the clearest local benefit would be faster links between major venues, central business districts and airports. The partners say early thinking includes connections tied to Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast airports, which points to a regional network rather than a single-city trial.
If the project moves ahead as planned, Queensland could become one of the first places in Australia where residents and visitors see regular air taxi services linked to a major international event. That would place the region near the front of a transport sector that is still being tested in many markets.
By the numbers
Eve had completed 50 test flights with its prototype by 9 April 2026, which shows the aircraft program is still in active testing rather than ready for full commercial use.
The partnership covers two states, New South Wales and Queensland, showing the plan reaches beyond a single Olympic corridor and into wider urban and regional travel markets.
Eve says it is backed by Embraer’s 56 years of aerospace experience, which gives the aircraft program a deeper industrial base as certification work continues.
Zoom In
One of the more practical parts of the proposal is the infrastructure model. Rather than waiting for a full network to be built from scratch, the plan would combine existing airports and approved aviation sites with new vertiports in Queensland. That could help shorten the path from planning to trial operations.
The aircraft side is still developing. Reuters reported on 9 April 2026 that Eve had completed 50 prototype test flights and planned to produce six compliance prototypes for certification work. What this really means is the Brisbane 2032 target is still tied to progress in testing, approvals and delivery, not just infrastructure.
Zoom Out
Queensland is not alone in looking at air taxi services, but Brisbane 2032 gives the state a strong deadline and a public stage. Eve is also evaluating routes in cities including Dubai, Jeddah and Istanbul, while Skyports already has operating assets in the UK and US and projects under development across the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
That wider push matters because it shows Brisbane is part of a larger global test period for advanced air mobility. The difference here is that the Games could help turn a transport trial into something people in Queensland actually use.
What To Look For Next?
The next signs of progress will likely come through route choices, vertiport site decisions and work on airspace and regulatory approvals.
If those parts move together, Brisbane 2032 could become the point where air taxis shift from planning documents to a real travel option in South East Queensland.