FutureFlight
Roland Berger Sees UAM Investment Slowing but Long-term Progress Assured
The Europe-based transportation consultancy sees the urban air mobility market being worth $90 billion over the next 30 years.
Lilium vertiport
Germany-based urban air mobility pioneer Lilium is one of several startups that has continued to attract investment during the Covid crisis. (Image: Lilium)

Roland Berger’s Center for Smart Mobility projects a $90 billion market for urban air mobility (UAM) aircraft over the next 30 years, as global populations continue to gravitate toward cities. Addressing a conference on October 22 organized by the German state of Bavaria’s U.S. Offices for Economic Development, the European transportation consultancy’s principal Stephan Baur said that while the fallout from the Covid crisis has led some companies to withdraw or scale back investment in the new sector, it will continue to advance.

“One of the key questions that's on the table right now is what does Covid-19 do to all of this?" asked Baur. He predicted the crisis would not result in a “fundamental slowdown” of governments’ certification and regulatory work or any weakening of demand for the mode of travel by the public.