If you can’t beat the traffic, go above it.
If your commute or travel time is getting worse – you’re not alone, we’ve all thought when undertaking routine travels, surely the time spent traveling be better spent in leisure activities with loved ones or undertaking more productivity tasks whilst enroute? According to McKinsey, the typical Los Angeles resident spends more than two full work weeks in traffic every year.
Don’t let the road rage get to you. There’s new hope thanks to technologies that are currently being developed to make it possible to catch a ride to the office above ground, connected with other forms of mobility. We are here to help, we are Airlift.
What it is: Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is an aviation industry term for on-demand and automated passenger or cargo-carrying air transportation services, which will be manned initially and support operations similar to existing helicopter or fixed wing aircraft except the aircraft themselves are safe, electric, sustainable and have low noise impact.
Why it matters: Traffic is bad and getting worse. Cities are getting polluted and the cost of introduction of traditional public transport is only increasing and ridged. These new UAM services will bring new ways for people to travel around cities and urban areas, while reducing congestion at pricing points comparable to that of public transport over time. The UAM services offer unprecedented flexibility, furthering a balanced life and equitable transport options without traditional distance and time limitations experienced by surface transport.
Why now: The CAA (UK), NASA and EASA has been leading the certification and safety innovation with UAM aircraft manufacturers. Following in the footsteps of Unmanned Air Vehicles technology over the long term, further developments are being undertaken to improve safety and scalable over traditional helicopters and fixed wing short haul aircraft using renewable sustainable energy, being electric based systems. Work is ongoing to reduce noise impacts, enhance cybersecurity and determining airspace integration with traditional airlines and traditional surface transport.
What Airlift is doing: We’re collaborating with towns and cities, aircraft manufacturers and airlines to integrate safe, sustainable UAM services as part of a multi mobility offering. Airlift is testing and developing vertiport UAM operations and is a partner of choice for pioneering municipalities, asset owners and UAM ecosystem stakeholders.
For more information on what we’re doing in Urban Air Mobility, visit here.
