Skyports partners with Unified Aviation to accelerate global vertiport roll-out
London, UK, 13th May 2024 – Skyports Infrastructure (Skyports), the leader in vertiport infrastructure for the advanced air mobility (AAM) industry, has partnered with Unified Aviation, the vertical aviation specialists, to provide a cost-effective, versatile infrastructure solution for air taxi take-off and landing. This partnership will support rapid roll-out of Skyports’ infrastructure globally, facilitating agile and responsive vertiport network growth.
The collaboration leverages Unified Aviation’s Modular Environmentally Sustainable Helipads (MESH) advanced landing platforms and Skyports’ expertise in vertiport development, planning, regulation, and operations. The agreement enables Skyports to deploy take-off and landing infrastructure where and when needed, using prefabricated, modular, fast-build technology with integrated power, solar charging, lighting, safety, drainage, and fire suppression features.
The partnership advances Skyports’ Agile Vertiport Network (AVN) strategy, which envisions a varied and responsive infrastructure network. The AVN will comprise vertiports and landing sites tailored to environmental, network, and customer requirements.
Duncan Walker, Chief Executive Officer, Skyports, said: “Scalable, flexible, and rapidly deployable vertiport infrastructure is critically important to accelerating AAM service roll-out, particularly in the early years of the industry. Our partnership with Unified Aviation brings specialised expertise in integrated heliport and vertiport design and training to reduce time to market and provide cost-effective, pre-certified landing sites. Our Agile Vertiport Network strategy solves some of the complex considerations when developing AAM networks, providing the vertiport solutions for any given location.”
Skyports’ principal vertiports, which will include facilities such as passenger terminal, charging infrastructure, and MRO, will be situated at major hubs such as airports, shopping malls, and metro stations, or where otherwise required. These sites and the wider network will be augmented by peripheral landing sites in suburban, lower throughput or short-term demand locations, for which Skyports would deploy the MESH system.
This innovative infrastructure solution will be demonstrated at Unified Aviation’s Dubai South location, which will double as an operations staff training facility. The technology will then be rolled out globally with Skyports’ vertiport product, with various use cases, including ground, elevated and floating options.
Mark Trotter, Managing Director, Unified Aviation, said: “Our MESH system has been designed with the future in mind. It can cater for today’s helicopters and the future AAM ecosystem, enabling hybrid operations where needed. Our partnership with Skyports will help expand and further establish this innovative system going forward. MESH is built with sustainability in mind, using sustainable materials and the modular nature creates an excellent flexible and rapidly deployable solution.”
About the vertiport
A vertiport is a facility specifically designed to support the operations of vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, such as electric air taxis, drones, or other advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles. It typically includes infrastructure such as final approach and take-off area (FATO), charging stations, passenger terminal, and facilities for maintenance and operations. Vertiports are a key element of the AAM ecosystem.
About Modular Environmentally Sustainable Helipad (MESH) Solution
MESH is an innovative solution that solves the challenge of creating modern and safe landing sites for helicopters and future electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) in a low-impact environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.
MESH can be rapidly deployed for floating, surface, and elevated heliports while exceeding the durability, maintainability, and safety of traditional concrete based landing platforms.
