Gary Mortimer SUAS NEWS
Volocopter VoloPort: The efficient & ready-made Vertiport network solution for urban eVTOL operations
December 9, 2021
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  • Volocopter, the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), unveiled a comprehensive VoloPort handbook for the physical infrastructure supporting electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operations. This detailed handbook is a valuable resource for Volocopter partners building UAM infrastructure that guides readers through the design, construction, material use, infrastructure adaptability, and facility operations. The knowledge shared stems from Volocopter’s numerous and direct collaborations with authorities, air operators, institutions, partners, and internal expertise as an eVTOL aircraft designer. 

    Volocopter’s VoloPort solution is a ready-made, compact, and functionally independent urban vertiport concept. It can be used to accelerate the development of urban eVTOL infrastructure, expediting the public adoption of UAM and expanding its ecosystem in megacities. The VoloPort can be time- and cost-effectively modified to various business sizes, target customer groups, and aircraft operations, requiring minimal infrastructure footprint, especially in densely populated urban settings. Its modular design featuring a combination of prefabricated materials allows construction to start as small as 25m x 25m (625 sq m (about twice the area of a tennis court)) while ensuring a safe and accommodating space for both eVTOL operators and passengers. Additional landing pads and workspace can be implemented as required.

    VoloPort highlights:

    The VoloPort handbook is based on a thorough assessment of the infrastructure and its operational concept. Parties interested in partnering with Volocopter to build and operate UAM infrastructures, such as cities and municipalities, investors, businesses, or construction companies, are eligible to request this handbook from Volocopter. 

    Florian Reuter, Chief Executive Officer – “Thanks to the collaboration with our partners and our internal expertise, I am delighted to demonstrate once again how we are leading the space by offering a tangible solution on the infrastructure side of the UAM ecosystem. We are looking forward to partnering with interested parties around the globe to hasten the development of a sustainable UAM vertiport network, and I am excited to soon see our VoloPorts in operation.”

    For a sustainable UAM ecosystem, a network of ground-based infrastructure is as critical to its success as the development of eVTOL aircraft. Volocopter has always pursued the completion of the ecosystem from both sides: the aircraft and the infrastructure. Since highlighting its full-scale first vertiport concept in Singapore, 2019, Volocopter has worked closely with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to give and receive guidance on UAM infrastructure development. Additionally, Volocopter is working with several Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA), as well as the European Organisation for Civil Aviation Equipment (EUROCAE), ASTM International, and General Aviation Manufacture’s Association (GAMA), to proactively drive the development of standardized vertiports around the world.

    Furthermore, to arrive at this VoloPort design and functionality, Volocopter collaborated with trusted aviation industry-leading partners and architects:

    About Volocopter Volocopter brings urban air mobility (UAM) to megacities worldwide. We aim to improve the quality of life for people in cities by offering a fantastic new mode of transportation. For that, we create sustainable and scalable UAM-ecosystems with partners in infrastructure and operations.

    Volocopter’s family of eVTOL aircraft will offer passengers (VoloCity and VoloConnect) and goods (VoloDrone) swift, secure, and emission-free connections to their destinations, supported by VoloIQ, the UAM ecosystem’s software platform that serves as its digital backbone for safe and efficient operations.

    As a pioneer in the UAM industry, Volocopter will launch commercial services within the next few years. Founded in 2011, the company employs more than 500 people in Germany and Singapore, has completed over 1,000 successful public and private test flights, and raised €322 million in equity from investors, including Daimler, Geely, DB Schenker, BlackRock, and Intel Capital. www.volocopter.com