To prepare for the impending arrival of new advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles such as electric air taxis and cargo drones, Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO) is teaming up with Urban-Air Port to bring vertiport infrastructure to airports and cities around the world. The partners say their modular design will significantly reduce capital and operating costs.
The Dutch airport consultancy and engineering firm, which is based in The Hague, has led development projects at hundreds of regional and international airports around the world for more than 70 years. Urban-Air Port (UAP) is a British start-up that is working to develop ground facilities for eVTOL aircraft, drones, and other electric vehicles in the U.S., Europe, and the Asia Pacific region.
NACO and UAP began collaborating in June 2023 to define eVTOL ground infrastructure requirements for airports. In a memorandum of understanding announced on November 3, they expanded that partnership with a pledge to integrate UAP’s vertiports into various airport projects around the world. They will also collaborate on airport land-use planning as well as vertiport network models, which can simulate passenger demand while accounting for connectivity with ground transportation options.
“NACO has a deep understanding of the nuances of airport planning and master planning, and their experience in optimizing operational efficiency for their traditional airport clients is second to none,” said UAP executive chairman Ricky Sandhu. “This is precisely what we believe at UAP for our vertiport clients. Sustainability is core to both of our companies and must underpin the future of aviation in a meaningful way.”
UAP is designing its next-generation AirOne vertiport facilities with vertically stacked, modular hubs that can be installed in compact spaces, making them ideal for cities and existing airports. According to the company, these small and rapidly deployable structures will not only provide space for eVTOL aircraft to take off and land, but they will also include aircraft command and control systems, chargers, and passenger facilities.
"Our vertiports occupy 80 percent less space compared to any traditional vertiport layout," UAP's chief executive Andrea Wu told AIN. "This presents a significant cost saving when it comes to land acquisition and leasing costs. Building costs for our vertiport solutions are subject to each vertiport's specifications." She explained that variations in costs could depend on factors including the number of hangars and whether these are double- or triple-stacked, plus the number of vertical airfields, and whether the hangar includes charging or maintenance facilities.
UAP anticipates the vertiports could be owned and operated by private companies, or by airports and local governments. It will also offer operational services via its partners Egis and Korea Airports Corporation. "We anticipate significant profit margins for UAP vertiport operators because of efficiencies including reduced capital and operational expenses," Wu said.
Last year, UAP set up a temporary AirOne facility in the center of the UK city Coventry to give the local community and prospective stakeholders the chance to see how vertiports could be integrated with existing transportation infrastructure. The event in April 2022 attracted more than 15,000 visitors and the facility was used for around 150 drone flights.
In addition to charging and maintaining electric aircraft, UAP’s vertiports can be used to charge other electric vehicles such as cars, buses, bikes, and scooters. The company, which is backed by investors including eVTOL developer Supernal, aims to build at least 200 of these structures at airports and other multimodal transportation hubs around the world. According to UAP, the global market for its vertiports will be worth more than $40 billion by 2050.
