Vertiport

A vertiport (verti- is for vertical and port for harbour, analogous to airport) is a future, as yet rarely realised concept of a take-off and landing site for electrically powered aircraft taking off and landing vertically, eVTOLs.^[1][2] It can be part of a vertihub if there is a large volume of air traffic. A vertiport is similar to a heliport or helipad.

General information

A helipad on a hospital, analogous to a possible vertiport

A concept image of a vehicle landing at a vertiport

A concept schematic representation of a vertiport

Vertihub

A Vertihub is the largest unit of the eVTOL starting and landing infrastructure. For example, there are 10 take-off and landing bays and 20 additional bays for parking and maintenance.^[3] It is a take-off and landing site for a large number of eVTOLs. It comprises at least two vertiports or vertipads and serves as the largest structure in the UAM environment. Vertihubs are intended for densely populated regions with high traffic volumes.^[3] The name is derived from vertical and hub, which stands for airline hub.

Vertibase

Vertibases are of medium size. They are located in suburbs with medium traffic volumes or at important work or retail locations. Typically, they have around three take-off and landing bays and twice as many parking and maintenance bays.^[3]

Vertistation

Vertistations are mobile and modular Vertistation Mobility Hubs.^[4]

Vertipad

Vertipads are the smallest unit. In city centres they fit well, e.g. on top of existing buildings.^[3]

History

As there are currently only prototypes and no authorised series models of eVTOLs, all vertiports to date are only short-term, temporary projects. There has been a vertiport in Chicago, USA, since 2015.^[5] In Coventry, UK, a vertiport (Air-One) was opened in April 2022 by the operating company Urban Air-Port, which is currently used by drones. 200 similar vertiports are planned worldwide. From 2024, eVTOLs will also take off and land there. Since 2020, Lilium has been planning to build a vertiport near Orlando International Airport in Lake Nona, United States.^[6] Joby Aviation entered into a partnership with REEF Technology and Neighborhood Property Group (NPG) to use the roofs of car parks as take-off and landing areas.

The first vertiport prototype for eVTOLs in Singapore was created by Volocopter and Skyports as part of the ITS World Congress 2019 and exhibited for a few days at The Float at Marina Bay. The architecture is by Berlin-based innovation agency Brandlab.^[7] There are Vertiport projects in Rome (the first in Italy), the South of France (2026) and Hamburg.

Mobile vertipads are planned in advance. There are construction companies, some of which have specialised in vertiports, such as Ferrovial.^[8]

ITA Airways, Airbus, UrbanV and Enel are working together on an Advanced Air Mobility (aam) ecosystem in Italy. Airbus is contributing the aircraft, UrbanV is the vertiport network operator and Enel is the solution provider. UrbanV plans to become a major global vertiport network operator. They also aim to take a leading role in establishing some of the world's first eVTOL routes.^[9]

Joby Aviation is planning air taxi services in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. Four vertiports are projects for this from 2026.^[10]

Remark

Translation of the German article with the same name.

See also

• Air transport