APA Issue 1, 2021
VERTICAL REALITY We take a closer look at plans for the world’s first vertiport for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft in Singapore and how its opening might revolutionise taxi services at Changi Airport.
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t feels like momentum is gathering pace in AsiaPacific, Europe and North America for a new type of airport taxi – one that is capable of avoiding traffic jams on the ground by simply flying over them!
We are, of course, referring to recent global announcements in the UK, US and Singapore about the development or planned development of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, for transporting passengers on short journeys across cities and regions. And, in the case of Singapore, it is already a reality as trials of a Volocity eVTOL vehicle – manufactured by German-based Volocopter – have already been carried out in Marina Bay. “It’s very quiet, and when we flew around Marina Bay in Singapore, people walking along the pavement with the Volocopter behind them at 70 metres didn’t even turn around,” says Skyports founder and CEO, Duncan Walker. “You can’t hear that it’s there unless you know it’s coming, and even on landing, it’s not that much more noisy than existing city environmental noise.” The fact that Walker and his Skyports team are pioneering the new technology should come as no surprise as they were behind the proof-of-concept
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construction of the world’s first vertiport (a take-off and landing area for eVTOLs) in Singapore in 2019. Indeed, the company aims to launch commercial operations there within two years, in partnership with Volocopter, one of the world’s leading e-VTOL manufacturers. The vehicle used here, called Volocity, can carry 200 kilogrammes or two people. Much of Skyports’ current effort is with existing airports, working with them on how they best integrate into the vertiport network. In collaboration with Groupe ADP, one of Skyports early investors, the company is building a test facility at Cergy-Pontoise, a general aviation airport to the north of Paris. This site will be used for operational testing ahead of commercial launch in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Skyports is also working with the Civil Aviation Authority, London Heathrow, London City Airport and a number of vehicle manufacturers on the concept of operatons for London. Why would airports, and particularly Singapore Changi be interested in the project? Airports are likely to be the biggest customer for this technology, according to Skyports, which notes that a large percentage of the investors in the company are airports.