2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

The Ajman emirate aims to become a “smart city” by 2030

Skyports Expands UAE Vertiport Plans with Ajman Partnership

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Vertiport network would support eVTOL air taxi and drone operations in the UAE

Skyports Reveals Proposed Design for Abu Dhabi Vertiports

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Vertiport at Dubai International Airport will support Joby's eVTOL air taxi services

Skyports' First UAE Vertiport Wins Technical Design Approval

Charles Alcock

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Dubai's Road and Transport Authority is involved in construction of four vertiports

Joby and Skyports Start Building First Dubai Vertiport for eVTOL Air Taxis

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Agreement paves the way for park-and-ride eVTOL air taxi services 

Skyports Partners with Parking Group To Develop Dubai Vertiports

Joby Aviation and Skyports are developing what they call a “Living Lab” passenger terminal to evaluate the technology and operating processes needed for planned eVTOL air taxi services. The partners say the facility within <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-03-24/jobys-second-evtol-prototype-restarts-flight-testing-after-accident">Joby’s Marina, California&nbsp;headquarters </a>will help them to better understand how passengers will experience eVTOL operations, and how these can be optimized.
For ground infrastructure group Skyports, the joint project with Joby, which is working to bring its <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/aircraft-program/joby-evtol">four-passenger eVTOL aircraft</a> into commercial service during 2024, is the latest of&nbsp;several operational trials at sites around the world. In November, it intends to open a European vertiport testbed at Pontoise-Cormeilles airfield near Paris as part of an exercise involving 30 partners, including German eVTOL aircraft developer Volocopter. The UK-based group also has secured <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-07-15/uks-future-flight-challenge-funds-new-advanced-mobility-ecosystem">government funding </a>to build a vertiport at an undisclosed general aviation airport in the <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-09-23/north-london-suburb-set-get-uk-capitals-first-vertiport-2024">London area</a>. In addition, it has been involved in advanced air mobility development work in Asian countries including <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-08-02/skyports-closes-263-million-series-b-round-backing-singapores-st">Singapore</a>, South Korea, and <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-02-18/skyports-and-eve-start-work-evtol-concept-operations-japan">Japan</a>.
The new Living Lab was announced on October 6 at the start of Joby’s “Field Trip” event, during which it will welcome groups of partners and investors to examine its pilot manufacturing facility where it is building its first production-conforming prototype aircraft. The partners intend to showcase the mobile passenger terminal across the U.S. over the next 18 months, giving the industry and the public a clearer view of what eVTOL commercial operations could look like.
“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 takeoff and landing operations and promote acceptance of this new form of mobility,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “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.”

Managing Editor

Skyports Opens 'Living Lab' Passenger Terminal at Joby's eVTOL Test Base

ST Engineering this week signed up as the final investor in Skyports’ $26.3 million Series B funding round. The aerospace and defense group, which is owned by the Singapore government’s Temasek Holdings, committed to a $3.1 million investment in the vertiport developer and commercial drone operator.
UK-based Skyports has been working with ST Engineering since 2021 on projects including reservoir monitoring and drone inspection services for Singapore’s Public Utilities Board, using ST’s DroNet technology to support beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Earlier this year, the partnership was expanded to include Sumitomo Corporation to launch <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-09-30/skyports-gets-approval-self-authorize-drone-operations-light-uas-operator">uncrewed aircraft services</a> to deliver parcels to and from ships docked off the coast of the Southeast Asian city state.
Skyports has been active in Singapore at least since September 2019, when it installed a temporary vertiport in Marina Bay for a public flight demonstration of Volocopter’s eVTOL aircraft. In December 2020, the German aircraft developer confirmed plans to launch air taxi service in Singapore.
Earlier this year, Volocopter and Skyports announced its intention to use Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park as a hub for advanced air mobility (AAM) services. The plans are backed by the Singapore Economic Development Board.
Other investors in Skyports’ Series B funding round, which the company says was heavily oversubscribed, include Japanese conglomerate <a href="vertiport developer and commercial drone operator">Kanematsu</a>, industrial property developer Goodman, Italian airports group 2i Aeroporti, and U.S.-based venture capital company GreenPoint. Skyports has several other AAM partnerships in place across the Asia-Pacific region, including in <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2021-06-03/skyports-and-hanwha-team-develop-vertiports-south-korea">South Korea</a>, <a href="https://www.futureflight.aero/news-article/2022-05-27/japanese-parking-lots-could-be-launch-pads-evtol-air-taxis">Japan</a>, and Australia.
“Our investment in Skyports stems from our confidence in the future of advanced air mobility&nbsp;and the expertise that Skyports has and continues to grow in building toward that future,” said Soo Soon Teong, ST Engineering’s vice president and head of unmanned air systems. “With even stronger ties now between ST Engineering and Skyports, we will accelerate efforts in marrying out complementary strengths in advanced air mobility and advance the DroNet solution globally.”
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Skyports Closes $26.3 Million Series B Round with Backing from Singapore's ST Engineering

Wisk Aero is advancing its plans for fully&nbsp;autonomous eVTOL air transport services through a new partnership with ground infrastructure and drone operations group Skyports. Announcing their collaboration on April 12, the companies published a draft concept of operations (ConOps) that they say is the first such document to map out how autonomous aircraft can be integrated with vertiports and how they will interact with the so-called providers of services for urban air mobility (PSUs).
Over the past couple of years, California-based Wisk has flight-tested its Cora&nbsp;two-seat autonomous eVTOL vehicle in the U.S. and New Zealand, logging more than 1,550 flights with this vehicle and earlier designs. It says it is working on&nbsp;a larger&nbsp;and possibly longer-range&nbsp;eVTOL aircraft but has declined to publish any performance details or specifications.
In January, Wisk received a $450 million investment from aerospace and defense giant Boeing, which jointly owns the company with Kitty Hawk. It has yet to publish a timeline for certifying the&nbsp;aircraft that it intends to operate itself. In February it said that it is working with the Southern California&nbsp;city of Long Beach on plans for urban air mobility (UAM) services. According to a spokesman, it is also considering other prospective cities, such as Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo.
Wisk and Skyports hope that their proposed ConOps will be widely accepted as an industry-wide blueprint for autonomous eVTOL services. The partners say they will use the document as the basis for engagement with other companies in the advanced air mobility sector, as well as regulators and other stakeholders.
“We are excited to partner with Skyports, a leader in vertiports and UAM infrastructure,” said Wisk CEO Gary Gysin. “It is critical that future operations are autonomous for safety, scalability, and affordability. With this ConOps, Wisk and Skyports are helping to define those future operations while ensuring the long-term success and full potential of this industry.”
While acknowledging that most advanced air mobility services using eVTOL aircraft will begin with pilots on board, Wisk and Skyports maintain that autonomous operations will eventually take hold as the main basis for achieving a more-affordable, large-scale market for passenger transportation. Their partnership, which is effectively being kick-started with the release of the ConOps for consultation with stakeholders, is aimed at preparing for the new aircraft to be safely integrated with all the required supporting infrastructure.
The ConOps document outlines how existing infrastructure and air transportation procedures will need to be upgraded and retrofitted to take into account&nbsp;safety requirements for autonomous flights. It also addresses how the partners see autonomous eVTOL vehicles interacting with new purpose-built UAM infrastructure that will need to be designed to work with various aircraft types and multiple operators with diverse business models.
UK-based Skyports already has partnerships to develop UAM infrastructure and services with several other companies, including eVTOL aircraft developer Eve and South Korea’s Hanwha group. In March, it completed a $23 million Series B funding round to support its plans to develop vertiports in countries worldwide.
“It is important that the infrastructure built today can accommodate the aircraft of tomorrow,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “We are thrilled to be partnered with Wisk as they push the bounds of aircraft systems innovation. This ConOps and our continued work on the development of vehicle-agnostic vertiports and ground-based infrastructure will ensure that this industry is well prepared to safely integrate autonomous operations.”
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Wisk and Skyports Issue Concept of Operations for Autonomous eVTOL Aircraft Flights

Japan’s Kanematsu Corporation led a group of new investors backing the first close in a $23 million Series B funding round for advanced air mobility ground infrastructure specialist and drone operator Skyports. The diverse trading group, which will appoint a director to the UK-based start-up’s board, was joined by industrial real estate company Goodman Group, Italian airport and infrastructure funds 2i Aeroporti and F2i, and GreenPoint, a U.S.-based venture-capital firm.
According to Skyports, the additional funding&nbsp;will help it to step up its partnerships with several eVTOL aircraft developers and operators, for which it is planning to build and operate vertiports in several locations worldwide. The company also intends to scale up its drone operations services in Europe and Asia.
All of Skyports’ existing institutional investors also back the latest funding round, with several of them increasing their stakes in the company. These include Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, Aeroports de Paris, Solar Ventus, Irelandia, and Levitate Capital. Meanwhile, DHL eCommerce CEO Ken Allen is joining the Skyports board as a non-executive director.
“This is another great milestone for Skyports as we continue our journey to be the leading vertiport owner and operator in the world,” commented CEO Duncan Walker. “The support of our original investors who have deep experience in aviation and infrastructure and the addition of new capital from world-class companies with a global footprint enables us to build the air taxi ecosystem alongside our best-in-class partners for initial operations in a couple of years.”
In December 2019, Skyports raised $6.9 million through a Series A funding round. It has now accumulated a total of over $33 million.
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Japan's Kanematsu Group Leads $23 Million Series B Funding Round for Skyports

The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau has commissioned Skyports and Eve Urban Air Mobility to develop a concept of operations (CONOPS) for advanced air mobility in the country, including eVTOL air taxi services.&nbsp;&nbsp;The project, which is also backed by Japan Airlines and trading group Kanematsu, will focus on issues such as airspace design for eVTOL aircraft, operational arrangements, and infrastructure, the companies announced on February 17.
The Japanese government has established a Public-Private Conference for the Future of Air Mobility Revolution and has expressed support for plans to launch commercial eVTOL flights during the 2025 World Expo to be held in&nbsp;Osaka. This objective—which is being advanced by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Investment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism—also involves other eVTOL vehicle developers, including Joby, Vertical Aerospace, EHang, Volocopter, and local manufacturer SkyDrive.
This week, during a press conference at the Singapore Airshow, Eve’s co-CEO, Andre Stein, said the company aims to be ready to fly a full-scale proof-of-concept prototype of its four-passenger eVTOL aircraft within the next few months. It seeks&nbsp;to bring the aircraft into service in 2026 with a range of just over 60 miles. The company predicts that by 2035, the Asia-Pacific region will be the world’s largest AAM market with over 25,000 eVTOL aircraft making 400,000 flights each day and carrying 500 million passengers per year. It also has plans to support air taxi operations in the Americas.
“Our partnership with Eve continues to provide an important means of helping authorities around the world understand and develop optimum conditions to enable commercial electric air taxi operations,” said Skyports CEO Duncan Walker. “We are honored to be able to bring our unique knowledge of infrastructure provision to bear for JCAB to accelerate the adoption of advanced air mobility across Japan.”
Skyports, which already operates commercial cargo drone flights, intends to develop and operate vertiports&nbsp;worldwide. It is also partnered with other eVTOL aircraft developers including Volocopter, and also with South Korean group Hanwha, which is partnered with U.S. company Overair to develop the Butterfly aircraft.

Skyports Infrastructure

News

Skyports Expands UAE Vertiport Plans with Ajman Partnership

Skyports Reveals Proposed Design for Abu Dhabi Vertiports

Skyports' First UAE Vertiport Wins Technical Design Approval

Joby and Skyports Start Building First Dubai Vertiport for eVTOL Air Taxis

Skyports Partners with Parking Group To Develop Dubai Vertiports

Skyports Opens 'Living Lab' Passenger Terminal at Joby's eVTOL Test Base

Skyports Closes $26.3 Million Series B Round with Backing from Singapore's ST Engineering

Wisk and Skyports Issue Concept of Operations for Autonomous eVTOL Aircraft Flights

Japan's Kanematsu Group Leads $23 Million Series B Funding Round for Skyports

Skyports and Eve Start Work on eVTOL Concept of Operations for Japan

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