Vertiport specialist, Skyports has agreed to develop the UK’s first vertiport testbed at Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire – a 444-acre estate dedicated to pioneering mobility technology.
The new vertiport, which will include a compact 160 sq. m. passenger terminal, will be a critical facility for testing ground infrastructure and flight operations and will play a significant role in enabling the next generation of electric, low noise aviation in the UK. Skyports anticipates that it will operational by the end of 2024 to align with the Advanced Mobility Ecosystem Consortium (AMEC).
Located next to Bicester Motion’s existing general aviation grass runways, the vertiport will continue the airfield’s long history of aerospace innovation. It will also align with Bicester Motion’s strategic vision to integrate both traditional and vertical aviation operations from its airfield. The vertiport design, which has been submitted by Cherwell District Council, has drawn inspiration from Skyports’ existing testbeds in Paris and California.
It will feature a compact terminal, constructed on a plot of 0.42 acres to showcase vertiport infrastructure’s efficient nature and highlight the capacity for seamless integration into urban landscapes, where space is at a premium and facilitate fast passenger throughput. Passenger processing facilities will include access control gates, weight and balance optimisation and identity validation, verification and screening. Meanwhile, an operations room will be equipped with Skyports’ suite of Vertiport Automation System (VAS) technology, which will feature a bespoke resource management and scheduling module, to enable high throughput aircraft agnostic operations. The airside area will comprise a single final approach and take off area and one stand.
Backed by Innovate UK’s Future Flight Challenge, the vertiport will serve as a key node for early vertiport network planning and demonstrations, as well as for the consortium’s wider testing programme and public and stakeholder engagement. Vertical Aerospace, which is developing one of the world’s most advanced electric aircraft in the UK to conduct demonstration flights and test key procedures ahead of commercial launch, will use the vertiport for eVTOL test flights.
Given the vertiport’s location, approximately 1 hour 40 minutes drive from central London by road and close to Oxford and the surrounding Cotswolds, the strategic positioning of the vertiport and the journey time to London expected to take less than 25 minutes, will underpin how air taxi services will provide a vital link between urban centres, regional, tourism and retail hubs.
“Our vertiport at Bicester Motion is ideally located to serve as a central hub for the UK’s advanced air mobility industry,” said Duncan Walker, CEO at Skyports.
“The facility will be employed by Skyports and our strategic partners to test and refine all aspects of our ground technology and operations within a UK context. This will also be a key location for early demonstration flights in the UK and will help to pave the way for permanent operations in the future.”
Bicester Motion has already successfully conducted specialist drone test flights from its airfield, with CEO Daniel Geoghegan, saying: “Partnering with Skyports will facilitate the development and accessibility to a new sustainable, low-carbon and futuristic mode of transport across the world.”
He added that these eVTOLs will use electric power to hover, take off and land vertically meaning that noise is to a minimum and pioneering sustainable flight and travel are nearer a reality.”
Andrew Macmillan, Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer at Vertical Aerospace added: “At Vertical, we are pioneering a new, hassle-free way to travel with zero emissions, but we can’t do this alone. Creating the right infrastructure is critical to getting electric aircraft into the air and the UK’s first vertiport will help accelerate this by providing crucial learnings to the industry.”
