Frazer-Nash Consultancy, in collaboration with GKN Aerospace and other industry stakeholders, has explored how urban mass transit could be revolutionised by the advent of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).
Using GKN's Skybus concept - a 30-seat electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft – a future "Park-and-Fly" service to Manchester Airport was investigated, offering significant travel-time savings in an environmentally sustainable fashion as well as reducing congestion on the road network.
Developed as part of the Department for Transport's Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) programme, the report analyses how to fully realise the potential of Skybus to unlock a range of benefits for both passengers and the wider community. Skybus services could save up to 50 minutes compared to the car journey and at an 18% cheaper cost on some of the analysed routes.
A Skybus service to major airports is a complex system which presents a range of challenges. The report takes a detailed look at the considerations around Vertiport (hubs for eVTOLs) locations, including the challenges associated with integrating these into a major airport. Through collaboration with industry and Government stakeholders, including GKN Aerospace, Urban-Air Port Ltd, the Department for Transport, Connected Places Catapult, Pascall+Watson Architects, and input from a major UK airport, a set of recommendations was developed to address the challenges and accelerate the path towards a future in which mass transit is augmented by AAM in the world's major cities and beyond.
Liam Parker, the Technical Lead for Future Aviation at Frazer-Nash, says:
“Frazer-Nash is committed to working with industry and government partners to deliver the 3rd aviation revolution. Using an extensive range of technical knowledge from a team of experts across specialisms spanning infrastructure, airspace, and operations, combined with a systems approach, Frazer-Nash is in a prime position to deliver projects in the future flight sector.”
For an example of previous work Frazer-Nash has delivered in the Future Flight Sector, visit gov.uk
