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

  • MaaS Market London conference attracts global experts
    February 20, 2019
    A plethora of global mobility experts is heading for ITS International’s 2019 MaaS Market Conference, reflecting the increasing pace of Mobility as a Service deployment. Colin Sowman reports Mobility as a Service (MaaS) cannot exist without the digitisation of transport services - and digitisation is without doubt the biggest challenge the transport sector has ever faced. It will create more changes over the next five to 10 years than the transport sector has seen in the past 100 - and there will be winn
    Read More
  • Transport Systems Catapult boss: ‘We can’t build our way out of congestion’
    March 4, 2019
    The UK Transport Systems Catapult’s CEO Paul Campion talks to Colin Sowman about helping companies develop tomorrow’s solutions – and explains why you can never build your way to empty roads The future of mobility is going to be driven by services.” That’s the opening position of Paul Campion, CEO of the Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) – the UK government organisation set up to help boost transport-related employment and the economy. Campion was previously with IBM and describes himself as a ‘techno o
    Read More
  • EHang to carry out urban air pilot in Guangzhou
    August 19, 2019
    EHang, an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) company, is to carry out an urban air mobility pilot in the city of Guangzhou, China. Hu Huazhi, founder of Ehang, says the pilot will explore “the various meaningful ways in which AAVs can solve some of the stressors our congested cities face.” EHang will help the Guangzhou government establish a command centre to help ensure that multiple AAVs can fly safely. In addition, the company intends to help the city build up the basic infrastructure to support u
    Read More
  • Singapore plans changes to transit system
    June 13, 2018
    Singapore has the third-highest population density in the world and the numbers are continuing to grow. The government knows that transit is vital: David Crawford investigates the city state’s Smart Nation strategy. Transport is the most important of the five domains identified as the pillars of Singapore's far-reaching Smart Nation strategy, launched in November 2014 by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong with the aim of reaching fulfilment by 2024. Roads account for 12% of the island republic's 719km2 land ar
    Read More

Highlighted Content