Study to Evaluate Technical and Regulatory
Feasibility of Operating from Italy’s Grottaglie Spaceport
Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (the “Company” or
“Virgin Galactic”) and Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile
(“ENAC”), the civil aviation authority of Italy, today announced
the signing of an Agreement of Cooperation to jointly study the
feasibility of Virgin Galactic conducting spaceflight operations
from Grottaglie Spaceport in the Puglia region of Southern
Italy.
The study will evaluate the necessary technical requirements for
suborbital spaceflight operations at Grottaglie Spaceport, the
surrounding area’s ability to support private and research
suborbital spaceflight customers, and the compatibility of Italy’s
suborbital regulations with those in the United States, where
Virgin Galactic is headquartered.
Phase one of the study, anticipated to be completed in 2025,
will examine Grottaglie’s airspace compatibility with Virgin
Galactic’s requirements and unique flight profile. This will
include examining any regulatory requirements, studying the
facilities infrastructure and ensuring supply chain capability to
support repeated spaceflights. Presuming these criteria are
satisfied, phase two of the examination would expand to consider
regional workforce requirements as well as the potential economic
stimulation to Italy and Puglia generated by multiple spaceflights
per week.
The announcement comes 18 months after members of the Italian
Air Force and the National Research Council of Italy conducted
research aboard Virgin Galactic’s June 2023 ‘Galactic 01’ mission
from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The flight marked the
Company’s inaugural commercial spaceflight.
“Development of world-class spaceports in premier locations is
essential to our goal of expanding human-first space travel around
the world, and we are honored to partner with the Italian
government as we look to bring Virgin Galactic’s spaceline
operations to Italy and the European continent,” said Michael
Colglazier, Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Galactic. “This study
lays the groundwork to activate the economic and community benefits
of commercial space across the region, and we are thrilled at the
prospect of Virgin Galactic customers looking out our spaceship
windows to witness the boot of Italy from space.”
“Today, our partnership takes a significant step forward.
Together, we will conduct a feasibility study to determine the
conditions for suborbital operations from the Grottaglie Spaceport
under ENAC’s regulations inspired by the U.S. model,” said Mr.
Fabio Nicolai, Deputy Director General, ENAC. “This work will lay
the foundation for safe and sustainable commercial operations in
Italy.”
Grottaglie Airport is managed by Aeroporti di Puglia and was
designated a commercial spaceport by the Ministry of Infrastructure
and Transport in 2018, making it the first horizontal spaceport in
Italy and first in the European Union. Grottaglie Spaceport is
primarily intended to provide a base for suborbital spaceflights,
including both private and research, acting as a center of
excellence for commercial suborbital transportation and space
exploration in the Mediterranean basin. The Puglia region and
Italian government recently allocated funding of 70 million Euros
for airport infrastructure necessary for the full operation of
Grottaglie Spaceport.
“We are excited to work with Virgin Galactic and demonstrate how
Grottaglie Spaceport can provide infrastructure, high level skills
and specialized services necessary for suborbital flights,” said
Antonio Maria Vasile, President of Aeroporti diPuglia, which
manages the site. “Grottaglie Spaceport has become a European hub
for the development of new aerospace technologies and a catalyst
for pioneering projects in the new space economy.”
Added Mr. Vito Bavaro of the Economic Development Department of
Puglia Region, “Extending commercial space travel to our region
aligns closely with the investments we are already making in
research and innovation, development of advanced skills, and
policies to strengthen the regional aerospace ecosystem. We believe
Virgin Galactic is an ideal partner in our mission to provide a
regional base for suborbital flights in the Mediterranean
basin.”
About Virgin Galactic Holdings
Virgin Galactic is an aerospace and space travel company,
pioneering human-first spaceflight for private individuals,
researchers, and governments with its advanced spaceships and
high-altitude carrier aircraft. Scale and profitability are driven
by next generation vehicles capable of bringing humans to space at
an unprecedented frequency with an industry-leading cost structure.
You can find more information at www.virgingalactic.com
About Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) serves as the sole
authority for technical regulation, certification, supervision, and
control in the civil aviation sector, including airports, in Italy,
operating under the powers granted by the Navigation Code. In
carrying out its institutional role of regulation and oversight,
ENAC promotes the development of civil aviation and airport systems
by ensuring flight and operational safety, protecting passenger
rights, enhancing service quality, and fostering fair
competition—all while respecting environmental sustainability. ENAC
is particularly attentive to innovation, with a focus on emerging
fields in aviation and aerospace transportation, driving
advancements that contribute to the modernization and
competitiveness of Italy's aviation sector. It actively
collaborates with national and international organizations to
support the sustainable growth and innovation of the industry.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by
the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained
in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
“Securities Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). All statements contained in
this press release other than statements of historical fact,
including, without limitation, statements regarding our partnership
with ENAC, including the planned study to evaluate the technical
and regulatory feasibility of operating from Italy’s Grottaglie
Spaceport, the potential to conduct our spaceflight operations from
Grottaglie Spaceport, and our plans to expand our commercial
operations globally, are forward-looking statements. The words
“believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,”
“anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “strategy,” “future,” “could,”
“would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” and similar expressions are
intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all
forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These
statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known
and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that
may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be
materially different from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking
statements, including but not limited to the results of the planned
feasibility study with ENAC, our ability to expand our operations
internationally, any delay in future commercial flights of our
spaceflight fleet, our ability to successfully develop and test our
next generation vehicles, and the time and costs associated with
doing so, our expected capital requirements and the availability of
additional financing, and the other factors, risks and
uncertainties included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 as well our subsequently filed
reports on Form 10-Q and 8-K, as such factors may be updated from
time to time in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (the "SEC"), accessible on the SEC’s website at
www.sec.gov and the Investor Relations section of our website at
www.virgingalactic.com, which could cause our actual results to
differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking
statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking
statements represent management’s estimates as of the date of this
press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking
statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation
to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241210572565/en/
For media inquiries: Aleanna Crane - Vice President,
Communications Virgingalacticpress@virgingalactic.com
575.800.4422
For investor inquiries: Eric Cerny - Vice President,
Investor Relations vg-ir@virgingalactic.com 949.774.7637
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