Atkins and Vertical Aerospace to develop air taxi services

Atkins has joined forces with electric aircraft company Vertical Aerospace in the UK city of Bristol to develop intercity air taxi services. The partners are aiming to develop a blueprint for urban air mobility, with Atkins designing the system and infrastructure around the air vehicle. Atkins says the blueprint will cover aviation infrastructure, passenger experience, operating models, intelligent mobility and cyber security. Philip Hoare, president of Atkins, says the development of a system i
May 31, 2019 Read time: 1 min

1677 Atkins has joined forces with electric aircraft company Vertical Aerospace in the UK city of Bristol to develop intercity air taxi services.

The partners are aiming to develop a blueprint for urban air mobility, with Atkins designing the system and infrastructure around the air vehicle.

Atkins says the blueprint will cover aviation infrastructure, passenger experience, operating models, intelligent mobility and cyber security.

Philip Hoare, president of Atkins, says the development of a system in which electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can operate “has the potential to revolutionise future city and regional transportation”.

Vertical Aerospace has built a full scale eVTOL and is working towards a commercial flight by 2023.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • San Diego: Let there be (street)light
    March 30, 2020
    The influence of intelligent streetlights is spreading. David Crawford finds that San Diego’s deployment – and attendant legislation – may offer a blueprint for other cities going forward
    Read More
  • US favours express buses are for intercity travel
    November 26, 2013
    David Crawford records an upsurge in ground travel. Express buses are powering ahead of air and rail as the US’ most-favoured form of intercity travel and major operators are investing in passenger-attracting and retaining technologies. At the same time ‘kayak’-style price comparison websites are emerging to widen rider choice. Modelled on airline industry search engines that find cheap flight deals by comparing carriers’ offers, these new websites aim to fill the same gap for a ground-travel equivalent
    Read More
  • Bristol to test new green bus technology
    January 9, 2015
    The city of Bristol in the UK is to pilot the latest green technology for buses thanks to a US$1.5 million grant from the Government to coincide with the city’s year as European Green Capital. Baroness Kramer, minister of State for Transport, announced today that Bristol will receive funding to purchase a number of new hybrid buses which can switch from diesel to electric automatically in low emission zones. The grant from the green bus fund will be used to purchase a number of hybrid buses with geo-f
    Read More
  • UCCs can improve air quality in towns and cities, says TSC
    July 17, 2018
    Urban consolidation centres (UCCs) can help UK local authorities meet air quality obligations through the reduction of goods vehicle miles in urban areas, says the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC). These centres could also help improve congestion, the research and technology organisation adds. UCCs are logistics facilities where goods are dropped off and combined onto commercial vehicles for delivery to their final destination. TSC applied its economic assessment tool to estimate the cost and benefi
    Read More

Highlighted Content