Advanced air mobility ground infrastructure specialist Skyports is developing an air taxi hub in the north London suburb of Brent Cross. By 2024, the UK-based company aims to open an interim vertiport facility in the new 180-acre Brent Cross Town development, where 6,700 new homes and workspace for 25,000 employees are being built.
The plan is based on a memorandum of understanding signed on September 23 between Skyports and Brent Cross South Limited Partnership, which is a joint venture between the local Barnet borough council and real estate group Argent Related.
The new vertiport will be located next to a new train station being built to serve the community, as well as being convenient for travelers using the London Underground network, and local highways and cycle paths. It is intended mainly for air taxi services provided by operators of eVTOL aircraft.
Skyports says it intends to develop a network of vertiports across the London area and in other parts of the UK, but for now is declining to specify further locations or a timeline for these plans. The company will conduct due diligence on the Brent Cross site and also liaise with the UK Civil Aviation Authority and all other stakeholders.
“The very fact that vertiports are being planned for construction in mixed-use neighborhoods such as Brent Cross Town demonstrates the direction in which the industry is moving and the increasing confidence in its success,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “Our in-house team of airport planners, regulatory experts, airspace experts, software and hardware developers remains completely focused on vertiports, which are safe, practical and in locations which will make a positive impact on daily life.”
