Air transport information technology specialist SITA is to install a digital network for testing eVTOL air taxi operations at the vertiport testbed set up by Skyports at Cergy-Pontoise Airport near Paris. The companies are looking to optimize the passenger experience when traveling through vertiports.
Skyports and some 30 partners are already engaged in the Re.Invent Air Mobility initiative led by airports operator Groupe ADP, development agency Choose Paris Region, and the French capital's ground transportation provider, RATP. The partners intend to be ready to start services in time for the Paris Olympic Games in the summer of 2024.
Much of the equipment provided by SITA is based on its Smart Path biometric technology, which should make for a smooth process for passengers to board their eVTOL flights. After booking trips on an aircraft operator’s mobile app, passengers will be checked in using SITA’s "face pods," which quickly identify them and verify their booking. The technology is intended to be used with any company's app.
Under the partnership announced on June 14, SITA will provide an automated scheduling solution to support Skyports’ airside operations. The companies are exploring how flight slots might be automatically secured at both the departure and destination vertiports when a passenger books a flight. This approach should also ensure that all the resources needed to support the flight are in place to allow for an on-time departure.
Skyports says that it intends to start passenger experience trials in the next few months at Cergy-Pontoise, which is mainly used by general and business aviation aircraft. It says the purpose of the exercise is to evaluate how the passenger experience can be refined and to resolve any problems at an early stage.
The UK-based group, which is developing plans for vertiports at locations worldwide, says that any of the aircraft developers involved in the Re.Invent Air Mobility initiative can use its testbed to prepare for passenger-carrying operations. These include Airbus, EHang, Pipistrel, Vertical Aerospace, and Volocopter.
“Advanced air mobility has presented an opportunity to reimagine the entire travel experience, from the vehicles we use and energy sources we rely on right down to the way passengers book and check in to flights,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “We are partnering with SITA to move into this next crucial stage in the planning and development of the AAM industry—defining the experience for end-users. Everything we do at Skyports is underpinned by the belief that there is a faster, smarter, more streamlined way to travel. Our work with SITA will demonstrate how that translates to the passenger journey.”
SITA says it wants to support existing airports in being ready to accommodate eVTOL air services.
