On Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow in the U.K., Wisk, in an expansion of its partnership with vertiport developer Skyports, announced an electric air taxi network that it hinted could be ready in time for the marquee event.

Wisk and Skyports in 2022 gave an early look at their vision for an eVTOL air taxi network, complete with infrastructure for vertical takeoff and landing, or vertiports. They will function much like heliports with electric aircraft chargers to juice up Wisk’s air taxi.

The partners now are working with the Council of Mayors of Australia’s South East Queensland (SEQ) region, with which Wisk has collaborated since 2022, to devise a network for the company’s Generation 6 model.

A prototype of the flagship design has a range of 90 sm (78 nm) with reserves and charge time of 15 minutes. Like designs from competitors Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, the Gen 6 features tilting propellers that aid in both vertical and forward flight. Wisk, though, is one of a handful of firms in the industry looking to fly autonomously at launch. It projects a commercial rollout will happen by the end of the decade.

Wisk and Skyports will pick out hubs for the air taxi across the SEQ region, home to an estimated 4 million and growing. The partners said they will study regional travel patterns, conduct feasibility studies, and speak with local communities about what to expect from the service.

They also noted that the region is already preparing for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games, saying they expect to plan out air taxi infrastructure in time for the big event.

“We’re excited to see this evolving industry bring high-value local jobs to SEQ and support improved services like medical and tourism,” said Scott Smith, CEO of the SEQ Council of Mayors. “To secure our place as a global destination, we must be at the forefront of adopting emerging technologies.”

Wisk is developing a similar network in Japan in partnership with flag carrier Japan Airlines.

It likewise has plans for the U.S. in the Greater Houston region of Texas and is working toward bringing the Gen 6 to Long Beach, California. Officials in Los Angeles are preparing for the introduction of air taxis ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, though it is unclear if Wisk will meet that deadline.

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Four projects intended to study potential AAM use cases and guide Michigan lawmakers as they regulate the industry have received a total of $6.25 million in funding. AAM is an umbrella term used by the FAA to denote new forms of passenger- and cargo-carrying aircraft, from drones to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis.

The $2.6 million will be allocated to electric aircraft and charging station developer Beta Technologies. The remaining funds will be divided among drone infrastructure developer Skyports ($512,000); Traverse Connect, the economic developer for the state’s Great Traverse region ($689,500); and Michigan Central, a transportation technology campus located in Detroit ($2.45 million).

The money comes from the Michigan AAM Activation Fund, which has the combined backing of the state’s Department of Transportation (MDOT), Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME), and Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The fund aims to prepare Michigan for the arrival of AAM aircraft by coordinating state agencies.

“Advanced air mobility is an incredible economic opportunity for the state of Michigan,” said Gilchrist. “These investments create high-tech jobs, grow cutting-edge businesses, and enhance quality of life for our residents. These innovative advancements will elevate the way our companies operate, making air transportation more efficient and changing the way we move both people and cargo.”

Added Bradley Wieferich, Michigan state transportation director: “This new investment complements the state’s strategy to find safe and cost-efficient ways to capitalize on a robust network of aviation infrastructure serving Michiganders today.”

Beta will use its $2.6 million appropriation to install electric aircraft chargers statewide, including at Cherry Capital Airport (KTVC), Capital Region International Airport (KLAN), West Michigan Regional Airport (KBIV), and Willow Run Airport (KYIP).

The company is developing systems that adhere to the combined charging standard (CCS), a set of design protocols endorsed by Beta, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), and other manufacturers such as Archer Aviation and Boeing’s Wisk Aero. So far, Beta has about 20 chargers installed and online in the Eastern U.S., with another 50 or so in the construction or permitting process.

Skyports will use its money to launch a trio of proof-of-concept, ship-to-shore drone delivery services in the cities of Sault Ste. Marie and Detour Village, in partnership with local shipping provider Interlake Steamships. The ships will be anchored while drones arrive to pick up deliveries.

Traverse Connect, with an assortment of partners, will examine the use of drones to deliver critical medical supplies to rural areas, which typically have less access to the U.S. healthcare system. The drones will also be deployed for marine surveying, water sampling and testing, bathymetric mapping, and emergency response in the Lake Michigan area.

Michigan Central, meanwhile, has been tasked with improving Michigan’s recently announced advanced aerial innovation region, an urban campus that was opened to bring AAM companies and jobs to the state. It will also work alongside Brooklyn’s Newlab, a technology center best known for revitalizing the Brooklyn Navy Yard, to test beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone use cases across building inspection, cargo delivery, and medical delivery.

“Michiganders have always been pioneers in the mobility space, and now we’re taking to the skies, finding new ways to use next-generation transportation to deliver critical resources like medical supplies and food, reinforcing international partnerships and cross-border collaboration, and so much more,” said Justine Johnson, Michigan chief mobility officer.

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Joby Aviation, the manufacturer of a five-seat eVTOL design, has signed a definitive agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA), the government entity that regulates the city’s public transport, to launch air taxi operations in the UAE by early 2026, targeting initial service in 2025. The agreement gives Joby exclusive rights to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years, starting from the launch of commercial operations.

Notably, the news follows competitor Archer Aviation’s announcement that it too is planning a UAE expansion in 2026. The manufacturer partnered with local operator Falcon Aviation, which previously stated that it would operate Archer’s Midnight air taxi across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Falcon in 2022 also purchased 35 air taxis from Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility, noting that it planned to launch eVTOL tourism flights in Dubai.

Archer further announced the planned sale of 100 aircraft to Dubai-based operator Air Chateau for $500 million, which intends to service both cities.

While the operational partners of Archer, Eve, and other manufacturers will still be able to fly air taxis in the UAE, only Joby will be authorized to operate in the Dubai region, it said.

“We are excited by Joby’s recent announcement to join Archer in bringing electric air taxis to the UAE region in 2026,” Archer said in a statement to FLYING. “We continue to build on the launch plans we announced last year with our long-term investors, Mubadala, the support of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, and several local operating partners, including Falcon Aviation, Air Chateau, and GAL & AMMROC [Global Aerospace Logistics – Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Center].”

Signed in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the vice president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, at the World Governments Summit, Joby’s agreement secures financial assistance and other support from RTA for the entry and maturation of operations in the city.

Joby also signed an agreement with Skyports, which will design, build, and operate four initial vertiport sites across Dubai. The three partners settled on Dubai International Airport (OMDB), Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, and Dubai Downtown as launch locations.

“[This] landmark agreement delivers on all three ingredients required to successfully launch an air taxi service—a definitive path to operations, well-placed infrastructure supported by dedicated partners, and an aircraft with the capacity and range to deliver meaningful journeys,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “We’re excited to be laying the groundwork for the expansion of our service across the wider UAE.”

Joby’s zero-emission air taxi is designed for a pilot to fly up to four passengers on 100 sm (87 nm) trips at speeds up to 200 mph (174 knots). Unlike its competitors, the company plans to operate the aircraft itself. Archer, for example, intends for partner United Airlines to do the flying. Joby, meanwhile, is working with Delta Air Lines to launch service out of New York and Los Angeles in 2025.

According to Joby and RTA, a journey from Dubai International Airport to the Palm Jumeirah—a 45-minute trip by car—is expected to take just 10 minutes by air taxi. The partners are working with the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to develop a regulatory framework for the aircraft’s introduction, building upon FAA guidelines.

“The air taxi service is part of RTA’s efforts to embrace future transportation technologies and offers a novel and efficient mobility option for Dubai’s residents and visitors, enabling fast, safe, and convenient travel to key city spots,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors for RTA. “This service will also enhance seamless multimodal transportation, improving citywide connectivity and ensuring a smooth travel experience for passengers.”

Joby, RTA, and Skyports are now collaborating to design the customer journey, engage stakeholders, and integrate air taxis into Dubai’s wider public transport network. Joby in addition has established a Dubai operational team composed largely of local recruits. It added that it would consider localizing its other business activities in Dubai and the Middle East, which it evidently views as a potentially key market.

The manufacturer will participate in the recently announced Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster established by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), of which Archer is also a member.

Separately, the firm said it will continue its internal flight testing and type certification activities. In November, its production prototype became the first electric air taxi to fly in New York City, taking off from downtown Manhattan. The previous month it began uncrewed flight testing, an important step toward certification.

Joby’s exclusive agreement with RTA could hinder the plans of Archer, Eve, and other competitors. Those companies have announced plans to fly outside of Dubai as well. But the RTA’s decision to tap Joby as the city’s sole air taxi provider will take away—at least for a few years—what appears to be a burgeoning market for future air mobility services.

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Royal Mail, the U.K.’s oldest parcel carrier, and Skyports Drone Services, the cargo delivery arm of drone infrastructure provider Skyports, on Tuesday announced the launch of a drone delivery project on the Orkney Islands, north of the Scottish coast. The service is initially slated for a three-month trial but is expected to become the country’s first permanent drone delivery operation under current regulatory frameworks.

“We are proud to be working with Skyports to deliver via drone to some of the more remote communities that we serve in the U.K.,” said Chris Paxton, head of drone trials at Royal Mail. “Using a fully electric drone supports Royal Mail’s continued drive to reduce emissions associated with our operations, whilst connecting the island communities we deliver to.”

The Orkney I-Port operation launched in July as a collaboration between Royal Mail, Skyports, the Orkney Islands Council Harbour Authority, and Scottish regional airline Loganair. The daily mail distribution service currently flies between three islands.

Letters and parcels are transported from Royal Mail’s Kirkwall delivery office to the town of Stromness, where Skyports delivers them to Royal Mail staff on the islands of Graemsay and Hoy via drone. Postal workers then collect the cargo and follow their normal delivery routes.

The weather and landscape of the Orkney Islands can impede traditional delivery methods like ferries. But Royal Mail says the geography also allows the company to conduct extended visual line of sight flights with less remote oversight than would typically be required.

The flights mark the first operation between Skyports and its partner, São Paulo-based Speedbird Aero. The partners will deploy Speedbird’s DLV-2 multirotor drone, which has a payload capacity of 35 pounds and a range of about 10 sm (8.7 nm). In addition to being able to fly in harsh weather, the drone figures to improve delivery speed and reduce emissions.

“By leveraging drone technology, we are revolutionizing mail services in remote communities, providing more efficient and timely delivery, and helping to reduce the requirement for emissions-producing vehicles,” said Alex Brown, director of Skyports Drone Services.

For the first three months of the project, costs will be covered by the U.K. Department of Transport’s Freight Innovation Fund. After that, though, the partners will be on their own.

The Next Generation of Parcel Delivery

For remote island communities like Orkney, drones represent a potential game-changer for delivery of mail and crucial items like medical supplies. The concept is one Royal Mail has now pursued for years.

In 2020, the company partnered with a consortium of U.K. drone firms and became the country’s first parcel carrier to complete a drone delivery that December. The following May, it ramped up those efforts with autonomous drone parcel delivery and inter-island test kit delivery trials to the Isles of Scilly. And in October 2021, it successfully completed yet another drone initiative, this time a two-week autonomous trial between the Orkney Islands.

In May 2022, Royal Mail announced its short-term vision: 50 postal drone routes launched over the next three years in partnership with drone logistics provider Windracers Group. The Orkney Islands and Isles of Scilly were proposed as initial sites alongside the Hebrides and Shetland Islands. Routes will at first be supported by up to 200 drones, but the ultimate goal is to deploy as many as 500.

Royal Mail is also reducing its fleet emissions by electrifying its ground transport. In 2021, it announced an initiative to ensure all company cars will be 100 percent electric by 2030. It provided an update on that effort in July, revealing that its delivery fleet already includes 5,000 electric vans.

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The companies—including Airbus, Ampaire, Archer Aviation, BETA Technologies, Bye Aerospace, Eve Air Mobility, Joby Aviation, Lilium, Overair, Signature Flight Support, Skyports, Supernal LLC, Vertical Aerospace, Wisk Aero, and ZeroAvia—say that while sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are “an immediate solution to decarbonize the sector,” it is vital to also invest in future aircraft technology.

• READ MORE: Is Los Angeles Becoming a Battleground for eVTOLs?

“The world is currently experiencing the most exciting time in aviation since the dawn of the jet age,” the companies said in their letter. “Recently, the White House correctly recognized this by listing net-zero aviation technologies as one of five priorities in its ‘U.S. Innovation to Meet 2050 Climate Goals’ for the newly formed Zero Emissions Game Changes Initiative.” 

The companies attested that the technologies they represent “provide the first and best long-term path to achieving net zero aviation emissions.” They noted that “electric, hybrid-electric and hydrogen aircraft will begin commercial operations as soon as 2024 and provide the aviation industry its first net-zero operations” for short haul, regional and long-haul flights.”

The companies also stressed the need to develop new infrastructure specifically designed for zero-emission aircraft and keep pace with advancements made in other countries.

“Other nations around the world have begun to heavily invest in zero-emissions technologies because of the environmental and societal benefits that will accompany them. The United Kingdom’s Aerospace Technology Institute announced a 685 million pound investment over three years specifically for zero emission technologies.

The European Union and its member states have also committed over a billion euros in Investment,” the letter reads.

The companies said that by embracing new technology the U.S. could create jobs while helping to decarbonize the aviation sector. “Since the dawn of flight, the United States has led the world in the research, development, and advancement of flight. In part, this has led to the aerospace and defense sector being the number one exporting sector annually.”

In the future the U.S. could maintain its leadership by prioritizing zero-emissions aviation, the companies said, noting that they “stand willing and ready to engage and assist in supporting this leadership.”

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So this week, Wisk released a “first-of-its-kind” report detailing how vertiports and related systems and infrastructure could better accommodate automated air taxis. 

The report touches on an issue that could make or break the nascent eVTOL industry. Experts have long said the planned business model for eVTOL air taxis will not succeed without permanent, established vertiports where these new, battery-powered aircraft can safely and efficiently land, takeoff, and recharge, as well as securely handle passengers and luggage. 

In fact, vertiports are already being designed and planned, with at least one expected to be completed by this fall in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, though the FAA hasn’t even weighed in yet on requirements. 

• READ MORE: Oshkosh’s Wittman Airport Is Building a Vertiport | FAA Solicits Public Comments on Vertiports

Just think for a minute about how airport operations and configurations are driven by the types of aircraft they serve. Now, extrapolate that to factor in how airports would need to be different if the aircraft were automated. The concept triggers several questions:

• How would automated eVTOLs taxi at vertiports?
• Who would act as the pilot in command (PIC) of a self-flying aircraft and who would maintain situational awareness (SA)?
• What redundancies may be needed to maintain safety levels achieved by piloted aircraft?

Though Wisk’s two-seat air taxis will be self-flying, the company says a human will always “be in the loop,” ready to intervene if necessary—so-called pilot-over-the-loop (POTL) mechanisms. Wisk’s competitors—Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY), Archer Aviation, (NYSE: ACHR) and others—plan to launch on-demand services with onboard pilots flying their aircraft. 

This vision of the near future comes less than three months after Boeing announced a nearly half-billion dollar investment in Wisk—as it seeks to test, certify and manufacture a 21-foot-long eVTOL with a range of about 25 sm, plus reserves. Wisk and its rivals hope to create a new form of environmentally friendly transportation that enables passengers to fly on zero-emissions aircraft over traffic congested cities.

• READ MORE: Boeing Invests $450 Million in Wisk Aero

The report, co-authored by U.K.-based vertiport developer Skyports, points out that now is the time to consider “autonomous eVTOL integration” to “help future-proof the development of [urban air mobility] UAM aviation infrastructure.” Also, the document “serves as a basis for discussion as industry and regulators begin to consider the integration of autonomous eVTOL aircraft systems into the [national air space] NAS.”

Here are a few interesting details contained in the report.

Vertiport Automation System

Wisk envisions a vertiport automation system (VAS) that “would passively interface with the existing ATC traffic flow management system.” Active coordination would be facilitated by a flight operations center (FOC) which “serves as a conduit between air traffic control (ATC) systems and the VAS.” The VAS also would “interface with uncrewed aircraft traffic management (UTM) provider systems for UAM-specific routes through controlled and uncontrolled airspace.”

How Would PIC Work for Self-Flying Air Taxis?

The PIC is defined in the Wisk/Skyports document as “an individual, employed by the eVTOL aircraft operator, who has responsibility and control over the aircraft’s beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.” PIC would assume “responsibility and control” beginning “when the aircraft doors close on departure, through takeoff and landing, and until aircraft doors open at the destination.”

The PIC would be located at the vertiport’s FOC, where they would “monitor the aircraft “and could “step in to remotely pilot” it, “if the need arises. This individual will directly communicate with the aircraft, vertiport staff, and ATC where applicable.” The FOC, the document says, “may or may not be co-located with a vertiport.”

Passenger Safety

“The FOC will maintain open communication channels with the aircraft’s passengers and monitor passenger well-being and activities throughout the flight.”

What if the availability of resources at the destination vertiport during the flight threatens to affect the ongoing flight plan? 

In that case, the report proposes that “the FOC and vertiport will communicate such changes to the PIC. Fleet management and/or the PIC will maintain SA of the aircraft throughout the journey and may make changes to the current flight plan or future scheduled operations.”

• READ MORE: EASA Issues ‘World’s First’ Design Specs for Vertiports

Emergency Procedures

Out-of-the-ordinary flight situations and emergency procedures “will be designed to safely land an aircraft as close to the original destination or takeoff point as possible.” 

“For each scheduled flight, the eVTOL fleet operator will identify en route contingency landing sites—vertiports, heliports, airports, and other prepared landing sites. These locations can be used for emergency diversions, delay mitigation-prompted diversions, or aborted landings to ensure continued safe flight and landing (CSFL).”

Taxiing

Because of limited space and tight dimensions at vertiports, PICs would not remotely taxi their eVTOLs to designated parking positions. Instead, “autonomous eVTOL aircraft will most likely require a tow or tug solution that transports the aircraft on vertiport taxi routes,” the report says.

Weight and Balance

Air taxis, including Wisk Aero’s eVTOL, will be small—seating two to seven people. Therefore maintaining precise weight and balance for each aircraft will be critical to safety. 

The report says passengers would be weighed before boarding. “After passenger verification, passengers and luggage may go through a non-intrusive security scanner and weight check,” the report says. “Both of these activities will be overseen by a vertiport terminal agent who can perform in-person check-in and security actions as needed.”

During boarding, staff might be needed to designate specific seats based on the weight of each passenger, according to the report.

Things to Keep in Mind

In general, eVTOL commercial air taxis in the U.S. are expected to be operated as commuter and on-demand airlines under Part 135.

Obviously, aircraft or fleet operators would be required to fly type certificated eVTOL aircraft listed on their FAA operating certificates. It’s worth noting that, so far, zero eVTOLs have been type certificated in the U.S., although Wisk, Joby, Archer, and others are making significant progress. Wisk, a privately held company, has not publicly offered a timeline for type certification of its air taxi or when it plans to begin commercial operations. 

Clearly, before this vertiport vision can become reality, eVTOL developers and the FAA have much to do. 

The post What Will Self-Flying Air Taxi Vertiports Look Like? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.