EASA publishes world’s first vertiport design specifications for urban air mobility services across Europe
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has published the world’s first guidance for the design of vertiports and the ground infrastructure needed for the safe operation of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) services such as air taxis, in locations across Europe, including urban areas.
The Prototype Technical Design Specifications for Vertiports offers guidance to urban planners and local decision-makers, as well as industry, to enable the safe design of vertiports that will serve these new types of VTOL aircraft already at an advanced stage of development.
“UAM is a completely new field in aviation and we have a unique opportunity to develop a set of infrastructure requirements from scratch,” Patrick Ky, Executive Director of EASA said.
“With the world’s first guidance for safe vertiport operations, EASA’s ambition is to provide our stakeholders with the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to safe vertiport design and operational frameworks.
“We will support European industry by harmonising design and operational standards for vertiports, in Europe and around the world to make UAM a reality.”
In May 2021, EASA published the first study conducted in the EU on UAM, which showed 83 per cent of respondents have a positive initial attitude and 71 per cent are ready to try out services, according to consulting firm McKinsey and Company.
It was based on targeted research, a literature review, market analysis, surveys and interviews. The online quantitative survey polled 4,000 residents living in six European urban areas, which was complemented by more than 40 qualitative interviews as well as a noise simulation test.
Many vertiports will be built within or close to cities and the guidance offers new and innovative solutions specifically for congested urban environments.
One notable innovation is a funnel-shaped area above the vertiport, designated as an ‘obstacle free volume’ — a concept tailored to the operational capabilities of VTOL aircraft, which can land and take-off within a significant vertical segment.
Depending on the urban environment and on the performance of certain VTOL-capable aircraft, omnidirectional trajectories to vertiports will be also possible.
Such approaches can more easily take account of environmental and noise restrictions and are more suitable for an urban environment than conventional heliport operations constrained in the approaches that can be safely applied.
The next step is a full-scale rulemaking task — RMT.230 — during which EASA will develop the full spectrum of regulatory requirements to ensure safe vertiport operations. These will include not only detailed design specifications, but also requirements for authorities to oversee vertiport operations as well as organisational and operational requirements for vertiport operators.
