To make our mission a reality, we focus on the key modules of Advanced Air Mobility transport ecosystems
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Aircraft (eVTOL)
Developing all-electric aircraft for vertical take-off and landing.
U-space
Enabling safe and secure operations in the lower airspace.
Vertiport
Providing take-off and landing infrastructures and city integration.
Developing all-electric aircraft for vertical take-off and landing
A key element to make Advanced Air Mobility a reality, is the development of new air vehicles.
The Air Mobility Initiative is working on a number of projects around the vehicle development, to ensure safety, security, passenger comfort and sustainable transport in the third dimension.
Safe, secure, sustainable at the core of development
With decades of experience certifying aircraft, the European aerospace company Airbus successfully developed two all-electric VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) demonstrators: CityAirbus and Vahana. The lessons learned from this double-demonstrator approach, as well as the continuous improvements in sound technology across Airbus’ portfolio of products, have been essential to creating the CityAirbus NextGen prototype, Airbus’ new generation of eVTOL.
CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL
A number of new technologies are required for the development of the eVTOL. In particular the vehicle design, interior and architecture, electrification of the propulsion system, new materials and structure, as well as the flight control system.
In particular certification aspects of the vehicle are to be designed together with stakeholders, to combine expectations and needs of society, the industry, and political decision makers.
U-space: enable safe and secure operations in the lower airspace
A highly automated and reliable traffic management system for the coordination of eVTOLs and other air vehicles in the corresponding airspace is an essential building module for the development of AAM.
Integration of urban airspace
The objective with regard to the airspace structure in the context of AAM is to integrate the urban airspace in the airspace above it, to enable safe and integrated air transport of people and goods.
The establishment of U-spaces is a first step towards future air traffic management in low, urban airspaces. Currently, the concept essentially focuses on UAS (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) such as cargo drones, to lay the foundation for future air traffic management in urban environments.
Bavaria's first U-space
This requires an investigation on how today’s air traffic, such as commercial aircraft near airports or rescue helicopters flying above cities can be linked with future air traffic in a common airspace.
Within the U-space related research iniatives we specifically focus on this research question. In the frame of one project the first Bavarian U-space is being developed in order to test, validate and demonstrate concrete use-cases in a safe environment.
Vertiports: shape need-based ground infrastructure for the integration into travel chains and public environments
The creation of Advanced Air Mobility in urban and regional areas requires detailed investigations of the ground-based infrastructure. This includes sites for vertical take-off and landing (vertiports) and their integration into the local environment.
Complementing without compromising
Vertiports constitute nodes of AAM networks that interconnect destinations within regions and make them accessible to other modes of transport. Vertiports will emerge in locations where AAM connectivity is a technically and economically viable addition to existing mobility infrastructure. A holistic view on vertiports considers technical, operational, regulatory and societal aspects over their entire life cycle to enable need-based, time-saving, comfortable and safe air transportation for public use.
From concept to operation
Within the research projects AMI-AirShuttle and AMI-FlyingIN2Air we design vertiport concepts for the areas of Munich, Ingolstadt and Nürnberg. Therefore we take into account the specific characteristics of the geographical areas as well as certification requirements, in order to prepare the planning, approval, construction and operation of vertiports.
