To help advance urban air mobility (UAM) Joby Aviation and Skyports Infrastructure have teamed up to develop a Living Lab passenger terminal that will enable both companies to test a variety of technologies and procedures that will ultimately help define how passengers experience electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.
Commenting on how eVTOLs are set to revolutionise the way we travel in and around cities, Eric Allison, Head of Product at Joby, explained how Joby riders will be able to skip the traffic and fly straight to their destination at more than 200mph.
“But to realise the vision of everyday flight, we need to deliver a seamless and more rapid experience on the ground,” he said. “The Living Lab will allow us to rethink the terminal experience, keeping our customers front and centre throughout their entire journey.”
Duncan Walker, CEO at Skyports added: “We expect the Living Lab to be instrumental in our efforts to engage regulators, government officials and the public to demonstrate the benefits of electric vertical take-off and landing operations and promote acceptance of this new form of mobility.
“Our aim is to develop vertiport infrastructure that delivers a ‘zero-wait’ check-in experience for customers and we’re delighted to be working with Joby, one of the leading companies in this sector, to prepare for that future.”
The Living Lab will be showcased at locations throughout the US over the next 18 months providing industry and members of the public with the opportunity to experience the future of aviation. The development of the Living Lab follows Skyports announcement that the UK government is funding its project to develop a vertiport in a London General Aviation aerodrome and the company’s European vertiport testbed which will launch in November this year at the Pontoise-Cormeilles aerodrome in Paris.
