2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

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

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

 Upcoming vertiport to include provision for future eVTOL aircraft 

Skyports and Linden Plan Heliport At Miami's Watson Island

Charles Alcock

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.

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

Announcement coincides with Vertical’s new aircraft unveiling

Bristow Prepares To Launch UK eVTOL Air Taxi Network

Curt Epstein

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.

Service is expected to begin there in 2027

Joby, Skyports Ink Air Taxi Deal in UAE Emirate

Hanneke Weitering

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

Skyports Expands UAE Vertiport Plans with Ajman Partnership

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

Skyports Reveals Proposed Design for Abu Dhabi Vertiports

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

Skyports' First UAE Vertiport Wins Technical Design Approval

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 Infrastructure

News

Skyports and Linden Plan Heliport At Miami's Watson Island

Bristow Prepares To Launch UK eVTOL Air Taxi Network

Joby, Skyports Ink Air Taxi Deal in UAE Emirate

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

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