Aena, the world’s main airport administration firm by variety of passengers, UrbanV, the Italian vertiport operator, and the German pioneer of city air mobility (UAM), Volocopter, have entered right into a collaboration settlement to launch a pilot program to develop an UAM ecosystem. This system consists of a feasibility examine for the deployment of UAM and a possible proof of idea of business operations (CONOPS) of a vertiport at an airport throughout the Aena flight community.
The pilot program will progress in two steps: The primary two years will deal with a feasibility examine of UAM use throughout the Aena community, figuring out potential prospects, vertiport places and industrial routes, infrastructure wants, and potential connections with different modes of transport.
The following step shall be to judge the potential for conducting flights take a look at on Aena amenities (topic to funding, availability of sources, permits to fly and so on.) in an effort to proof the idea of operations.
Primarily based on this pilot examine, the partnership goals to evaluate the subsequent steps and potential future strains of collaboration within the UAM enterprise in Spain. Future strains of labor shall be topic to strict evaluation of the outcomes of the pilot and the strategic alignment of every of the events.
There is no such thing as a shortcut to constructing an environment friendly and sustainable UAM ecosystem into a brand new area. This entails understanding the market potential, figuring out passenger-frequented routes, planning vertiport places, and involving extra companions corresponding to civil aviation authorities (CAA) and municipalities, amongst others. Aena, UrbanV, and Volocopter have the experience in respective components of the aviation business to embark on the creation of an environment friendly UAM ecosystem in Spain and past.
UrbanV and Volocopter have already partnered for the 2024 Italian UAM market launch in Rome and at the moment are seeking to strengthen their collaboration in Spain. Aena is the world’s main airport administration firm within the variety of passengers. With the mixed experience of those three firms, a CONOPS of use instances at goal places shall be created as a blueprint, to later support world industrial growth.
Spain is accelerating its decarbonisation efforts to focus on net-zero by 2050, principally by means of electrification, inexperienced hydrogen, and biofuels 1 . Aena is 10 years forward of schedule by committing to be net-zero by 2040. Electrical vertical take-off and touchdown (eVTOL) plane can play a big function in decreasing carbon emissions in city and distant places within the rapid future. With no emissions in flight, an ultra-low noise signature, and compliant to the best security requirements in aviation, Volocopter’s eVTOLs have the potential to revolutionize the way forward for aviation and make a big impression on cities throughout Spain.
Luis Cañon, Director of Innovation and Buyer Expertise of Aena mentioned: “Aena’s Innovation and Digital Transformation is predicated on utilizing know-how to enhance present and develop new companies.
We need to be worldwide leaders in the usage of digital instruments with the target of optimising the shopper expertise, growing operational effectivity, being extra sustainable and creating new companies round sustainable mobility. This undertaking is a part of the corporate’s world technique in City Air Mobility and the validation of latest applied sciences and processes in Aena’s airport community.”
Carlo Tursi, CEO of UrbanV mentioned: “At UrbanV, we goal to enhance folks’s lives by enabling a quick, environment friendly, secure, and clear various to present transport options for folks and items over quick distances, by air. We now have the ambition to turn into a significant world operator of vertiport networks and we shall be world pioneers in establishing among the first AAM routes worldwide. We’re excited to accomplice with AENA and Volocopter, two world leaders of their respective fields, and we sit up for exploring along with them the nice potential of introducing superior air mobility within the Spanish market.”
Christian Bauer, CFO & CCO of Volocopter, added: “Volocopter’s mission to deliver UAM to life now extends to Spain. We’re proud to hitch its path to remodeling the sustainability of aviation additionally in Spain as our eVTOLs present a extra environment friendly, secure, and quiet type of complementary aerial mobility for vacationers and enterprise travellers. For Volocopter, this pilot program is one other improbable alternative to know real-world wants and use instances of eVTOL, and to strengthen our accomplice ecosystem with Aena and UrbanV.”