Air taxi infrastructure pioneer, Skyportz today released the design for a revolutionary vertiport to support the rapid deployment of a network of air taxi landing sites globally.
These vertiport products are affordable, modular, turn-key solution for smaller property sites wanting to join the Advanced Air Mobility future.
Speaking from the Airshow in Paris, Clem Newton-Brown, Skyportz CEO said,
“The focus in the industry to date has been on larger vertiports located at existing airports. This is the low hanging fruit which will form the essential backbone of an Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem”
“However, if this industry is to reach its potential we need to break the nexus between aviation and airports and let private property owners develop their own vertiports”.
“At Skyportz we are focusing on affordable options that property developers can incorporate into new developments or retrofit into existing buildings”.
“Our first design is a beautiful tiny aluminium shell modular vertiport building that can be delivered to site in an open topped shipping container. It can be affordably shipped anywhere in the world. It is designed and costed and can be built and delivered right now”.
The financials for vertiports requiring big investments do not stack up for now with no aircraft yet certified and no immediate business model. However, the property players have an intense interest in getting on board with this revolution. The property sites are the missing piece of the mobility puzzle.
“Everyone can sense this is going to be big but no-one wants to get burnt by over capitalising too early. What the property industry needs is an entry level step to get a toe hold into the ecosystem. They want something that is small, fixed price and able to be easily installed”.
“With the Vertiport-in-a-Box™ property owners can move fast to show their investors and tenants that they are ready to be part of this revolution – and the vertiport building can be used for other purposes such as a bar or cafe while we wait for aircraft to get certified”, said Newton-Brown.
It is generally considered that it is too soon to get approvals for vertiport uses from Governments – the standards are still in development and nowhere in the world has any Government set out the rules and regulations (other than for display sites).
“Skyportz will be getting our network of vertiports established now with enthusiastic property owners who will come back later for an aviation use permit. In the meantime they will have a vertiport building that could be used for other purposes”, said Newton-Brown.
Skyportz has partnered on the construction and activation of the modular vertiports with a host of specialist companies that will provide weather data, air traffic management systems, booking services, battery charging, last mile logistics and aviation operations.
The design released in Paris is the first in a range of modular designs to be released this year to suit various applications and price points.
The modular monocoque aluminium shells come in three sizes that can be joined together depending on space requirements. They range in price from 99 000 Euros to 235 000 Euros plus fitout. Finance packages will be available.
“We will offer a complete solution for property owners to activate their sites for aviation. And as a modular, fully transportable system we will be able to supply any global market”, said Newton-Brown.
“The key to this industry is breaking the nexus between aviation and existing airports. We need to develop a network of new vertiport sites if the industry is to reach its potential, and Skyportz is readying the landscape to partner with infrastructure investors”, said Newton-Brown.
