Urban Air Mobility
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is an emerging mode of air travel using small, typically electric aircraft to move people or goods within cities or between regional areas – addressing increasing strain on urban transportation. UAM envisions a future where commuting by air is an accessible and common mode of transit reducing travel times, lowering environmental impact, and improving the quality of urban life.
Vertiports
Vertiports are specialized facilities designed to support air taxi operations. Much like airports, passengers can check-in and board their flights at vertiports, where aircraft arrive and are serviced for their next departing flight. These facilities are equipped to handle passenger boarding, aircraft charging or refueling, and maintenance. They can be located on rooftops, malls, parking garages or near transportation hubs to facilitate quick and efficient air travel within or between cities.
eVTOLs
Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft (eVTOLs) are designed to take off and land vertically. They are predominantly powered by electric motors, making them more environmentally friendly by reducing emissions and noise pollution. Many eVTOL aircraft can also transition between vertical and horizontal flight, allowing them to takeoff and land like a helicopter, but fly horizontally like a plane. This allows for more compact and efficient designs, enabling operations in tight urban spaces where conventional aircraft cannot.
Airfields for Next-Gen Aircraft
Next-generation aircraft will be powered by advanced software systems – and in some cases – equipped to be remotely or autonomously piloted with little intervention. Furthermore, the industry is preparing to adopt an advanced form of Air Traffic Control – centralized in software – that will facilitate routing this form of air traffic.
AAM is designed to be a high-volume service, with hundreds if not thousands of flights taking place across urban areas. In order to support the high throughput requirements of this mode of air travel, advanced systems will be required to quickly and safely transfer aircraft between parking and takeoff/landing positions at the vertiports.
Moonware’s systems for ground operations are designed to enable operators to meet their flight throughput requirements, reducing operational costs and risk of ground handling accidents, all while operating quietly and emission-free.
News & Insights
July 18, 2023
FAA Progresses Air Taxi Regulations
July 18, 2023
FAA Unveils Innovate28 for Air Taxis
January 29, 2022
Flying Taxis Near Certification
January 14, 2022