FutureFlight
Plans Advance For eVTOL Ground Infrastructure in Australia
Ground infrastructure specialist Skyportz and planning group Arup are working on plans to develop landing sites on existing buildings.
Uber vertiport
Skyportz believes that anyone developing a new building needs to consider the urban aerial revolution, as in this Uber rendering of a vertiport. (Rendering: Uber Elevate white paper)

Australia-based urban air mobility (UAM) ground infrastructure specialist Skyportz and planning group Arup are jointly developing specifications to support property developers wanting to prepare their buildings to be used for eVTOL aircraft operations. Ahead of the aircraft being approved for commercial use, Skyportz is encouraging clients to develop rooftop landing facilities that, in the meantime, could be used for other functions such as roof gardens, cafes, lounges or sporting facilities.

During 2020, Skyportz is working on the approval process developing the facilities and building political support for trial operations of both unmanned cargo drones and passenger-carrying eVTOL aircraft in a non-urban environment. The company sees its home city of Melbourne as a potential early adopter of urban air mobility taxi services and is trying to encourage an eVTOL developer to establish a presence in Australia.