Ok. Let’s say XYZ company has actually built a flying car, it’s ready to sell to the public. Average Joe buys one and intends to use it for commuting. How would that work? And let’s say eVTOLs have been purchased by charter firms - taking the ‘big air’ out of short flights and they are ready to go at the airports. (many charter companies have already ordered them, believe it or not)
Now what? How do we manage all of these new aircraft without screwing everything up or worse, hurting people?
The answer is: Vertiports.
Vertiports are like an airport’s younger cousin - smaller, more agile. No noise, no carbon emissions there. You could fit a bunch of Vertiports within the same footprint as a traditional airport.
When going on a business trip, you could come from a Vertiport, hop in, and hover over to your destination in a much more efficient and relaxing way.
Large corporations could have their own Vertiports for employees that are hovering into work.
Kevin Cox, CEO of Ferrovial Vertiports, part of Ferrovial Airports, a division of global infrastructure operator Ferrovial thinks eVTOL aircraft will be super important for business aviation.
Cox says, “eVTOL aircraft are designed to provide fast, convenient connections so they will benefit the business aviation market. Some vertiports will be in city centers so business aviation passengers will be able to transfer from their airport/airfield straight into a downtown area or between different transport hubs.
“eVTOLs will also operate between cities. Business aviation passengers will benefit from fast connections which avoid congestion and are sustainable with no carbon emissions and minimal noise.”
Alright put this into perspective and you’ll see why this issue needs to be addressed immediately. Airlines and charter companies have placed orders for thousands of eVTOL aircraft. McKinsey reports that investment in advanced air mobility reached $7 billion in 2021 and $3 billion in the subsequent year.
Ok that’s all fine, but what about local and federal governments, how will they handle it? Guess what? The FAA is already taking Vertiports into consideration.
Take a look at the pure artistry below and this link:
That’s the good news. The bad news is, it could take a few years for everything to come together, same as the very concept of flying cars itself.