FutureFlight
Vertiport Offers a Warm Welcome to Chicago for eVTOL Aircraft Operators
The vertiport facility, which opened in 2015, was designed mainly with helicopters in mind, but the 10-acre site has space to accommodate eVTOL aircraft, too.
Vertiport Chicago
Chicago's vertiport opened in 2015 and the 10-acre site has space to take new types of operators, including those using eVTOL aircraft. (Photo: Vertiport Chicago)

Located less than three miles from the heart of America's third most populous city, Vertiport Chicago seems as if it would be just the type of ground infrastructure that eVTOL aircraft operators are crying out for. And yet the Windy City hasn't featured on the target list for possible early adopters of the type of air transportation service being offered by pioneers such as Joby, Archer, Lilium, and Volocopter.

One factor could be that the Midwest's harsh winters will prove challenging to the new aircraft. Their developers appear not to have a plan for getting approval for them to operate in known icing conditions, which can be easily avoided in locations such as Los Angeles and Miami.